Mumbai, August 21, 2026

The condition of government schools in Maharashtra has come under fresh scrutiny after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke raised serious allegations during a visit to a school in Latur district. Through his “School Theek Karo” campaign, Dipke has shifted his focus towards what he claims are deep-rooted problems in the state’s education system and is now demanding accountability from the authorities.

During his visit to a Zilla Parishad school in the Ausa area, Dipke alleged that students from other schools had been brought in and made to sit in classrooms for his inspection. He also claimed that some of the students present were not registered in the school’s records. According to him, the school lacked drinking water, while its toilets and premises had been cleaned shortly before his arrival. In a video shared on his X handle, Dipke further alleged that mid-day meal plates had been brought in after officials learned about his visit. He also claimed that liquor bottles were found inside the school premises and suggested that illegal activities may have been taking place within the compound.

However, school authorities rejected these allegations. Principal Balaji Gawali clarified that Marathi-medium and Urdu-medium schools operate from the same building and denied that students had been brought from outside. He maintained that all the children present were enrolled in the schools. Gawali also rejected the claim that new plates had been arranged for the visit, stating that students were using older plates already supplied to the school. According to him, Dipke had misunderstood the arrangements and wrongly believed that they had been staged specifically for his inspection.

Expressing his anger over the alleged condition of the school, Dipke said students were living in conditions "worse than animals", stating: "Even a minister's dog gets better facilities than the students! If the government hasn't been able to fix leaking roofs or address the shortage of benches in ten years, what exactly have they achieved" He has demanded the resignation of Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse and called for the suspension of block education officers responsible for poor school conditions if action is not taken within eight days. Under its “School Theek Karo” campaign, the CJP plans to conduct a social audit of government-run and municipal schools across Latur district using a 10-point format covering infrastructure, administration, government schemes, safety, transport, mid-day meals, accessibility, cleanliness and overall school functioning. The campaign has now brought renewed attention to the gap between the condition of public schools on the ground and the responsibility of authorities tasked with improving them.