‘Don’t play politics with me’: CJP’s Ranka confronts cop, cites Pradhan’s ouster

CJP’s Ashotosh Ranka had reached Jodhwas in Alwar to join students protesting the condition of their government school.

ALWAR: A heated confrontation broke out between Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and Thanagazi SHO Mahavir Singh during a protest by school students in Jodhwas village of Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Friday, with Ranka invoking the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the party’s Jantar Mantar protest.Ranka had reached Jodhwas to join students protesting the condition of their government school, where a slab from a dilapidated building had collapsed two days ago.During the confrontation with the SHO, Ranka said that the country’s education minister had been removed following the protest, and asserted that the interests of students in Rajasthan would not be allowed to be compromised.“Mere sath politics mat khelna. Desh ke shiksha mantri ko hata ke aaye hain (don’t play politics with us. We have reached here after removing Union edution minister),” Ranka said to the SHO.The exchange between Ranka and the police officer became heated, with a scuffle also taking place. During the altercation, a young man’s shirt was torn. Ranka demanded that those responsible for tearing the shirt be identified and immediate action be taken against them.He also pressed the administration to accept the students’ demands without delay.What triggered the students’ protest?The students of Government Senior Secondary School in Jodhwas had been protesting for the second consecutive day after a slab from the roof of the school’s dilapidated building suddenly collapsed on Wednesday.No student was injured in the incident, but the collapse renewed concerns over the safety of the school building.The students have been demanding that the unsafe structure be demolished, repairs be carried out and the shortage of teachers be addressed.The school’s four-room old building had been declared dilapidated last year and has remained shut since then. The school is currently functioning with only three rooms, some of which are being used as the staff room and principal’s room. Students have also complained that these rooms leak during the rainy season.Ranka warns of bigger agitationSpeaking during the protest, Ranka warned that the CJP would launch what he described as the biggest agitation in Rajasthan since Independence if dilapidated school buildings were not repaired within three months.He claimed that 84,000 classrooms across Rajasthan were in a dilapidated condition, putting the future of more than 15 lakh children at risk.Ranka also questioned the state’s funding for school infrastructure, saying that state education minister Madan Dilawar had stated that around Rs 20,000 crore would be required to construct the buildings, while the government had released only Rs 500 crore.He demanded that the government arrange funds from wherever necessary, including the PM CARES Fund or other sources, or seek funds or loans from the Centre to ensure that school buildings were constructed quickly.“We cannot allow children to die in such dilapidated buildings,” Ranka said, according to the statement provided.Administration accepts students’ demandsAfter Ranka’s intervention, talks were held between the students and the administration. The protest ended on Friday evening after officials agreed to the students’ demands.These included demolition of the dilapidated building, early appointment of teachers, starting construction of a new school building within three months, repair of the damaged bridge on the approach road, repair of six existing classrooms within a week and allocation of a playground.District education officer Manoj Sharma said the shortage of teachers would be addressed and efforts would be made to get posts for lecturers and second-grade teachers sanctioned.Thanagazi development officer Vikas Kumar also confirmed that the administration had accepted the students’ five major demands, including demolition of the unsafe structure, teacher appointments, construction of a new building, repair of the bridge, classroom repairs and allocation of a playground.