With just 24 hours left on his 48-hour-ultimatum, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), is awaiting action from the Rajasthan government over the alleged attack on CJP con-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and his team, which unfolded in Jaipur on Friday. 

Dipke, in a warning issued to the state government on Friday, had said he would travel to Jaipur and stage a protest if arrests related to the incident were not made. With half the deadline now elapsed, all eyes are not on whether the state government and police will act before the ultimatum expires, and what the CJP founder has on the cards if his demands are not met.

Details of the Jaipur incident

For the unversed, the alleged attack took place on Ranka and members of his team during their visit to a government school in Rampura Kanwarpura in Jaipur.

According to Dipke, the team was attacked after Ranka visited a government school that was allegedly operating from a buffalo shed. He claimed that people associated with the BJP pelted stones at the team and damaged vehicles. Dipke further alleged that one volunteer suffered a broken arm, while Ranka was beaten. Some volunteers, he said, were receiving treatment at a hospital.

Questioning the Rajasthan Police over the incident, Dipke wrote on X: “What the F is happening in Rajasthan?????” He linked the alleged attack to the CJP’s campaign highlighting the condition of government schools and claimed that those behind the incident feared the party’s efforts to improve school infrastructure.

Dipke issued 48-hour ultimatum

In the aftermath of the incident, Dipke demanded action against the ones involved in the alleged attack and threatened that he would travel to Jaipur to organise a protest if arrests were not made within 48 hours. 

He also clarified that the attack on his team in Jaipur shall not bring the party’s ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign to a halt. He said, “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.” 

“We will not be intimidated,” says CJP Founder

The CJP founder went on to say that Ranka would continue visiting government schools despite the attack and confirmed that he too planned to travel to Rajasthan. He asserted, “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.” 

Rajasthan govt under focus

The alleged incident follows Ashutosh Ranka’s visit to a government school in Jaipur, where the CJP claimed they discovered poor infrastructure and questioned the availability of basic amenities. 

Dipke questioned why issues like drinking water and toilets were not being addressed in government schools and alleged that those who draw attention to such issues are being targeted. 

The party’s ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign has focused on shedding light on the state of government schools and demanding improved facilities for students.