Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra) [India], August 21 : Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke on Friday condemned the alleged attack on CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and his team during a visit to a government school in Rampura Kanwarpura in Jaipur.
Speaking to ANI, Dipke alleged that members of the CJP team were attacked by people associated with the BJP after Ranka visited a government school that was allegedly functioning from a buffalo shed.
"The attack on Ashutosh today reveals the fear harboured by these BJP people. They are afraid that CJP might actually fix the school, that the school might get repaired because of CJP's efforts," Deepak said.
He alleged that stones were pelted at the team, vehicles were damaged, and one volunteer suffered a broken arm, while Ranka was also allegedly beaten. Dipke said some volunteers were undergoing treatment at a hospital.
He questioned why the government was not addressing basic facilities in schools, including water and toilets, and alleged that those raising questions about the condition of government schools were being targeted.
"We are simply highlighting the state of schools; all we are saying is that the government schools attended by the children of the poor should be improved," he said.
Dipke said the alleged attack would not deter the CJP from its campaign and claimed that Ranka would continue visiting schools.
"If they think that by attacking, intimidating, or threatening us they can make us back down, they are mistaken; that is not going to happen. Ashutosh will go to inspect schools again tomorrow, and I will go too; in fact, I will definitely visit Rajasthan now," he said.
"Our 'Fix Our Schools' campaign will continue just as it has. No matter how many attacks they launch against us, we will not be intimidated or deterred, because we want only one thing: for the schools in this country to be improved," he added.
Dipke also criticised the reported inclusion of individuals associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the preparation of Class 11 and 12 Political Science textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
"People who have never read the Constitution, and who never even hoisted the Tricolour at their headquarters after independence. These are the people who will now be writing NCERT textbooks," he said.
His reaction comes after political tensions escalated in Rajasthan following an incident in Rampura Kanwarpura village, Jaipur district, where members of a visiting team from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were allegedly attacked while inspecting a local government school.