Abhijeet Dipke seeks Maharashtra minister's resignation over crumbling schools

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke demanded Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse's resignation, alleging government schools lack basic facilities such as classrooms, benches, toilets and safe access roads. During a Latur school visit, he urged ministers to be held accountable, called for greater public pressure on political leaders and demanded urgent education reforms.CJP founder Abhijeet DipkeCockroach Janata Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday demanded Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse's resignation over the alleged poor condition of government schools, saying students were being forced to study without basic facilities such as proper classrooms, benches, toilets and safe access roads. Dipke made the remarks during a visit to a Zilla Parishad school in Latur.Dipke made the remarks after visiting a Zilla Parishad school at Ujani village in Latur's Ausa tehsil as part of his group's 'School Thik Karo' campaign, launched last week. He said elected representatives and ministers must be held accountable for the state of schools and urged people to press political leaders to prioritise education.Speaking to reporters, Dipke said many schools still did not have proper classrooms, benches, toilets or safe access roads. He alleged that students in some schools were being treated "worse than animals". "It is a question of students' lives.When political leaders are not doing anything for students, why should people vote for them? Do people vote for them so that they can only travel in helicopters? People should see in what conditions their children are studying. The dogs of these ministers get better facilities than this," he said. He also called on people to put pressure on political leaders across party lines. "People should also tell the leaders coming to their village, irrespective of political parties, to work for education. Tell them not to come for votes at our doorstep till they work for education. For politics, we come out of our homes with flags of caste and community. Similarly, we should come out for the schools of our children," he said.Referring to political messaging around religion, Dipke said, "These people keep saying that religion is in danger. The religion did not end in so many years, and it is coming to an end in your tenure? The religion will not go anywhere, but the future of kids can get affected." He also said ministers and MLAs should send their own children to government schools to understand the problems faced by students there.Asked whether Dada Bhuse should continue as school education minister, Dipke said, "The condition of schools makes me feel that the education minister should not continue in the post. If the government wants to understand the urgency of improving government schools, ministers and elected representatives should send their own children to study in these schools." He further charged that the ruling dispensation had failed to bring about substantial changes in government schools despite being in power for years."Students are still studying in schools with leaking tin roofs and without adequate benches. If these basic problems could not be resolved in 10 years, the government must explain what it has achieved," he said. Dipke added that the CJP and local residents would raise their voice collectively over problems in schools and push the government to provide safe transport for students who walk several kilometres to school.Referring to reports of children allegedly dying of snakebites in schools, Dipke said such incidents showed the failure of the authorities to ensure safe access to education. He also expressed concern over unhygienic conditions at the school inspected earlier by the CJP team, alleging that accumulated scrap and garbage behind the premises had created conditions conducive to the presence of snakes. He said the CJP's inspections had already led authorities to begin some work in schools.Dipke said public participation was essential to strengthen democracy. "People have begun finding their voice again. More organisations and movements should emerge in a democracy. The more people come forward and speak, the stronger our democracy will become," he said.On the concerns of Gen Z, he said young people would become a significant electoral force by the 2029 elections and political parties would have to address their issues. He said the government must also work for the younger generation now studying in schools and warned that young voters would hold governments accountable if their concerns were ignored. He also said protests could spread across villages if the government failed to improve the condition of public schools.On the CBI probe into the NEET paper leak case in Latur, Dipke alleged that the investigation appeared to be targeting lower-level accused while bigger persons were being protected. "It is difficult to believe that such a case could have taken place without the involvement of senior officials in the system.Merely arresting a few lower-level persons and claiming action is not enough," he said. Overall, Dipke used the school visit to press for urgent improvements in government schools, accountability from ministers and elected representatives, and a stronger public push for better education facilities.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 20, 2026 15:00 IST