‘CJP team denied entry at 4 schools in Gautam Budh Nagar’

A team from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) visiting government schools in Gautam Budh Nagar as part of its nationwide “School Theek Karo” campaign alleged that it was denied entry to four of the five schools it had planned to inspect on Monday

CJP spokesperson and the pressure group’s co-convener Saurav Das told HT that the team was allowed to enter only a primary school in Garhi Chaukhandi, while access to the other schools was denied despite students and teachers being present.

A dispute arose after Das posted a video on X showing the condition of toilets at the Garhi Chaukhandi school and later alleged that other government schools in Gautam Budh Nagar had been ordered to “close” immediately.

However, an order issued by the office of the basic education officer on Tuesday, and viewed by HT, rejected the claim that government schools had been ordered shut.

The order termed the CJP’s claim “completely false and misleading” and said all council schools in the district were functioning according to the government and department timetable. It added that no order had been issued directing schools to close.

Das later clarified to HT that his post referred to the CJP team being denied access to the schools, rather than the schools themselves being shut.

“We had plans to visit five schools, but we were allowed to visit only one primary school in Garhi Chaukhandi. Everywhere else, we were denied entry. We could see that the schools were open and students were being taught. The principal at the next school told us that they had received an order from above not to give us access,” Das said.

An official at one of the government schools, requesting anonymity, also told HT: “We were given orders not to give access to anyone on the premises.”

Rahul Panwar, basic education officer, was contacted for comment but did not respond.

During the inspection in Noida, part of an exercise the pressure group has undertaken in several parts of the country, Das also urged young people to audit government schools in their neighbourhoods.

CJP began as a political satire outfit and was involved in student protests at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. It has since evolved into a pressure group focusing primarily on education and has launched the “School Theek Karo” campaign across the country.