Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday extended support to a man who visited the government school in Bengal where he once studied, after his father was allegedly killed by BJP-linked goons for speaking out about the poor condition of government schools.
In a post on X, Dipke shared a video of the injured man on a hospital bed and wrote, "Abdul went to inspect the govt school in Bengal where he once studied. He lost his father after they were attacked by goons (allegedly from BJP) for speaking up about the poor condition of govt schools. It makes my blood boil that people are being murdered simply for demanding better schools."
Extending support to the victim, the CJP founder said, "CJP stands firmly with Abdul and his family. We demand the immediate arrest of those responsible for his father’s death. A CJP team will visit West Bengal and ensure that Abdul and his family get justice."
Dipke also lashed out at the hatemongers and said, "And to the hatemongers who think they can silence us through violence: we are not going to back off. Attack our members, threaten us, try to intimidate us; we will only fight harder." He reiterated that the CJP will continue to fight for better schools and will not be silenced.
According to Scroll, the incident took place in Karisunda village of Bankura district in West Bengal, with the local police confirming that a person had died. However, they claimed they were yet to receive a complaint regarding the same. On the contrary, the CJP alleged that when the volunteer, Abdul, approached the police to file a complaint, his request was denied.
In a video posted on social media earlier this week, Abdul said he visited a primary school in Karisunda village to conduct a survey as part of the satirical outfit's nationwide campaign to improve government schools in villages. He alleged that later that day, BJP workers allegedly arrived at his home and assaulted him and his family, with his father sustaining head injuries.
After he posted the video, Abdul was reportedly harassed and intimidated, Ratna Singh, the legal affairs head of the party, alleged on Friday. She said, "These individuals have now allegedly gheraoed his house, preventing Abdul and his family from leaving," and added, "Local police officials have refused to take action. The police’s responsibility is to maintain law and order and protect citizens, not to shield or enable those accused of intimidation."
The incident comes after Dipke launched the "School Thik Karo" campaign focused on improving the condition of government schools.
On the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke launched the "School Thik Karo" campaign from his native village of Hingoli district in Maharashtra. He also alleged shortages of basic amenities at government schools, including broken windows, clogged toilets and inadequate seating.
Dipke inspected a government school after attending the flag-hoisting ceremony in his native village. Following the inspection, he took to his social media account and wrote, "Even after 80 years of Independence, our govt schools still lack basic amenities. I spoke to the Sarpanch of my village, who has assured that the Panchayat will resolve all these issues within a week. Change is possible when we come together and act. #SchoolThikKaro."
The campaign was announced earlier this week by Dipke as “Season 2 of Jantar Mantar,” following the withdrawal of the CJP's 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar on July 25 after former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and assurances were given on other key demands, news agency ANI reported.
