Rajasthan School Fund Row: Critics Slam Activist’s ‘Kejriwal-Style’ Credit Claim After Timeline Exposes Gaps

JHARSUGUDA — A massive political row has broken out over who deserves credit for the Rajasthan government’s massive investment in public school infrastructure. The controversy began after Abhijit Deepke, founder of the youth-led youth movement Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), posted a late-night tweet on August 20 claiming a major victory. Deepke asserted that a continuous push by CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka had forced the Rajasthan government to allocate ₹409 crore to rebuild 300 dilapidated schools.
Jitendra Patnaik, odisha BJP’s media cell, stated that Deepke had trapped himself in his own “credit game.” Patnaik pointed out that while CJP officially announced its educational campaign on August 7, the official government circular approving the ₹409 crore budget was issued weeks earlier, on July 12. “Did the Rajasthan government have a premonition that Deepke would launch a campaign 20 days later?” Patnaik questioned. “They are putting up posters to create a false narrative for political points, claiming credit for an impact that happened a full month before their announcement” he added direct comparisons between Deepke’s strategy and the early political maneuvers of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. They allege that both figures have relied on sensationalism and protest backdrops to manufacture political narratives and mislead the public.