Kejriwal accuses BJP of attacking CJP volunteers in Rajasthan; villagers deny claims

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating an attack on volunteers of the Common Janata Party (CJP) who were inspecting a government school in Rajasthan. He demanded action against those responsible, while local villagers rejected the allegations and said the issue was being politicised.

In a post on X, Kejriwal alleged that BJP supporters attacked CJP volunteers in Rampura-Kanwarpura village in Rajasthan's Kota district. "What's going on in the country? BJP's goons have brutally attacked CJP's volunteers. They beat them up, tore their clothes and smashed the car windows," he said. "Is all this just so they can't raise their voices for giving kids a good education? If the kids get educated, what's BJP's problem with that? Why do they want to keep our children illiterate?"

CJP founder Abhijit Dipke earlier claimed that the party's co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and other members were assaulted during their visit to the school. "Ashu has been attacked by BJP goons in Rajasthan. Ashu and other volunteers of CJP have been beaten up and injured. Rajasthan Police has allowed this to happen," Dipke posted on X.

Ranka alleged that the attack began as soon as the volunteers entered the village. He said stones were pelted by villagers and the police remained passive. "The entire country saw BJP's hooliganism live today. Stone pelting was already happening there, but the police remained mute spectators. Police said they won't do anything. This has been done at the behest of Madan Dilawar," Ranka told news agency PTI, referring to the state education minister. "Our volunteers had their hands broken. Our vehicles have been vandalised. There was stone pelting here."

Ranka claimed that elderly people threw stones at women in their team and broke their phones. "This was pre-planned. All these goons should be arrested within 48 hours and the order should be withdrawn; otherwise, this protest will expand from education to Madan Dilawar now," he added. He also noted that the school had been running in a buffalo shed for a year and the CJP wanted to get it repaired. Condemning the incident as a "black day for democracy in Rajasthan," he threatened a statewide agitation if the attackers were not arrested.

However, a local villager contested the CJP's version, saying the community did not want the issue to be politicised. "We don't want to politicise the issue. Rs 12 lakh has been approved for our school. Villagers are capable of building the school. We had constructed a temple earlier and we are capable of building a temple of education as well. We don't want any support from the Common Janata Party," the villager said. He added that villagers opposed the CJP because of its alleged calls for dividing the country and its remarks about Lord Ram. "We need people who work for the country," he said.

No official comment was immediately available from the Rajasthan Police or the BJP on the allegations. The incident highlights the growing political friction over education and local governance, with rival parties trading accusations ahead of state elections. The CJP has said it will continue its campaign for better school infrastructure, while villagers insist they are capable of managing their own resources.