A political spat over government schools in Rajasthan has intensified after volunteers of the Cockroach Janta Party alleged that they were attacked during their ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign in Rampura Kanwarpura on 21 August. In addition, the group has alleged that BJP-linked local supporters of the campaign threw stones and damaged vehicles and that police did not do enough to take action against those responsible.
The volunteers put up a 48-hour ultimatum on the attackers and demanded arrests and action against the attackers. They have also called for policy changes in school education and the resignation of Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar. The development has injected a political aspect to what those campaigners say is an effort to highlight problems affecting government schools.
The ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign was to highlight infrastructure and administrative problems in government-run education institutions, the campaigners said. Their accusations about the Rampura Kanwarpura incident have now become a larger political issue and activists are now concerned about the treatment of activists that are making inspections and the response of local authorities.
Dilawar’s bid for resignation has been strongly countered by his supporters. They have cited Rajasthan government’s claimed investments in school infrastructure as evidence that the education department has made significant reforms. Projects and upgrades (around ₹12,000 crore) were also highlighted and presented as part of a larger push to modernise government schools and improve education facilities.
Supporters also pointed to the increase in school enrolments as another measure of the department’s performance. More than 12 lakh new students have joined government schools, his supporters say, according to his backers’ claims. They have also cited achievements in Rajasthan’s national education rankings while claiming that the minister’s record should be measured through measurable outcomes rather than political campaigns.
The dispute has been further fuelled by a video shared by Dilawar’s supporters showing the minister fulfilling a long-standing promise during the consecration of the Ram Temple ceremony. The video has been used to paint Dilawar as a committed politician and show that the latest resignation campaign is driven by political opposition instead of genuine concerns regarding school education.
The contrasting narratives have created a sharp divide over the incident. Cockroach Janta Party is presenting the confrontation as evidence of resistance to scrutiny of government schools, while Dilawar’s supporters are portraying the allegations and resignation demand as politically motivated.
The campaigners’ 48-hour deadline for local authorities to respond to the allegations could put further pressure on them. Key issues will be whether arrests are made in connection with the alleged attack, whether vehicle damage is investigated and whether police response is formally reviewed.
The episode also comes at a time of larger political discussions about the state and performance of government schools in Rajasthan. Education is a sensitive issue because infrastructure, enrolment, teacher availability and learning outcomes are directly affecting millions of students and families. Political groups often use school conditions to go against governments, while ruling party supporters are able to point out budgetary allocations and administrative changes to buttress their record.
For now, Rampura Kanwarpura's fight is not just a local dispute but is a political one over Rajasthan's education system. And whether the authorities act on the campaigners’ claims when the 48-hour deadline is up and the political fight comes to a head, and whether it leads to more political confrontation, will be the next phase of the dispute. And the issue will be underlined by the differing claims on school improvement, enrolment figures and the minister’s record from a different angle as well, but the political landscape will continue to be in the limelight.
