Jaipur, Aug 20 (PTI) Congress MLAs boycotted proceedings on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday over the issue of restrictions on the entry of outsiders in government schools across the state.
Speaker Vasudev Devnani expressed disappointment over the absence of opposition members from the House and appealed to them to participate in the proceedings.
Government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel also criticised the Congress legislators for staying away from the House.
After obituary references and some legislative business, the proceedings were adjourned till Friday.
Congress MLAs staged a protest outside the House over the restrictions on entry of outsiders in government schools and demanded the resignation of Education Minister Madan Dilawar.
The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully, marched from the Poddar School for Deaf and Mute towards the Assembly.
The protesters alleged that the state government was trying to prevent the public and media from highlighting the condition of government schools.
Police stopped Congress MLAs with barricades and a brief scuffle broke out between the protesters and police personnel, with some Congress leaders climbing onto the barricades.The legislators subsequently sat on a dharna outside the Assembly.
The Rajasthan government has restricted the entry of outsiders into government schools without prior permission of the principal and barred photography and videography without written approval, a move which came after the CJP announced it would inspect schools in the state that are in a “poor” condition.
Dilawar had earlier this week defended the order, saying it was aimed at protecting the privacy, safety and rights of minor students and did not impose a blanket ban on visitors.
Dotasra accused the BJP government of adopting an “authoritarian” approach and questioned the restrictions.
“How can you stop anyone from showing the poor condition of schools?” he said, alleging that the government was also preventing elected legislators from entering the Assembly through the usual gate.
Dotasra alleged that the lock on Gate No. 6 was intended to prevent Congress MLAs from raising issues, including “corruption” in the education department, the “failure” of the education minister, agriculture scam and shortcomings in the healthcare system.
Jully said the Congress wanted the Assembly to function properly, but questioned why legislators were stopped from entering through a gate they had traditionally used.
“We have been entering through this gate since the Assembly was formed. Why was it closed today?” Jully asked, adding the party would submit a privilege motion over the issue.
He said Congress MLAs had first gone to the school in the morning, where they were shown a notice stating that they could not enter the premises.
“Then we walked to the Assembly and were stopped from entering here,” he said.
Jully alleged the government had brought in a “gag law” to conceal its failures and demanded that the measure be withdrawn.
He cited alleged deficiencies in the state’s school infrastructure, claiming that 3,768 schools had been declared dilapidated but that reconstruction work had not been completed in any of them. He further claimed that around 85,000 school classrooms were in a poor condition and that more than 1.25 lakh teaching posts were vacant.
Jully also alleged that around nine lakh children had dropped out of schools over the past three years and questioned the government’s accountability.
Responding to questions, Jully said his party had implemented programmes such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and worked to improve educational infrastructure.
“If buildings are not repaired and the budget is stopped, what will happen?” he said.
Dotasra alleged that the government had failed to address shortages of teachers and basic facilities in schools. He claimed that around 3,000 schools in the state had no teachers and that several schools lacked toilets.
He also levelled allegations of corruption in the Education Department, including alleged irregularities in transfers, and criticised the government’s handling of education-related issues.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot said restrictions “preventing journalists from entering schools or taking photographs and videos were unacceptable”.
“Schools in Rajasthan are in a worse condition. Buildings are in a dilapidated state,” he alleged, referring to deaths of children in an earlier school-related incident in Jhalawar.
Pilot alleged that the restrictions were intended to conceal the government’s shortcomings and demanded the education minister’s resignation. PTI AG DV DV
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