‘Even A Minister’s Dog Gets Better Facilities’: CJP Founder Targets Maha Education Minister Over School Conditions

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has demanded the resignation of Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse after alleging serious deficiencies at a government school in Latur district, including a lack of drinking water and poor sanitation facilities.

‘School Theek Karo’ Campaign Begins

Dipke visited a Zilla Parishad school in the Ausa area of Latur, around 500 km from Mumbai, on Thursday as part of his ‘School Theek Karo’ campaign, under which the CJP plans to conduct a social audit of government-run and municipal schools in the district.

He alleged that the school authorities had attempted to create a better impression ahead of his visit by bringing in students from other schools, cleaning toilets shortly before his arrival and arranging fresh plates for the mid-day meal.

In a video shared on his X account, Dipke was seen interacting with students and questioning school staff after some children allegedly told him that they were not enrolled at the school he was visiting.

Liquor Bottles, Water Shortage Among Allegations

Dipke also claimed that liquor bottles were found on the school premises and alleged that photographs taken during his visit indicated possible illegal activities within the compound.

He further alleged that the school lacked adequate drinking water facilities and that basic infrastructure remained in poor condition.

The CJP founder said students were being forced to study in unacceptable conditions and criticised the government over what he described as years of neglect.

“Even a minister's dog gets better facilities than the students,” Dipke said, alleging that leaking roofs and a shortage of benches had not been addressed despite years of government spending.

He demanded that the block education officers responsible for schools in the area be suspended within eight days, alleging that officials remained unavailable while citing official tours.

School Principal Rejects Claims

School authorities, however, rejected the allegations and denied that arrangements had been staged for Dipke's visit.

Principal Balaji Gawali said two separate schools — a Marathi-medium school and an Urdu-medium school — operate from the same building. He said the children present during Dipke's visit were students of the schools functioning on the premises and were not brought in from elsewhere.

Gawali also denied the allegation that new plates had been arranged specifically for the inspection, saying students were eating from older plates already provided to the school.

According to the principal, Dipke had misunderstood the arrangements at the premises and wrongly concluded that they had been created specifically for his visit.

CJP Demands Dada Bhuse’s Resignation

Dipke has now demanded the resignation of Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the alleged condition of government schools.

The CJP's ‘School Theek Karo’ campaign will use a 10-point audit format to examine government and municipal schools across Latur district. The audit will cover basic infrastructure, administration, implementation of government schemes, safety and security, transport, mid-day meals, accessibility, cleanliness and the overall functioning of schools.

The allegations and the school's denial have set the stage for a fresh political row over the condition of government-run schools in Maharashtra.