Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed deep anguish over the collapse of a government school roof in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar, which claimed the lives of at least seven students and injured several others. Calling the incident “extremely tragic and concerning,” he demanded a fair investigation and the strictest punishment for those responsible.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said, “The collapse of a government school roof in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, resulting in the death of several innocent children and injuries to many others, is extremely tragic and concerning.”
He alleged administrative negligence, citing media reports that prior complaints regarding the school’s poor condition had been ignored. “Most of these children were from the Bahujan community—do their lives hold no value for the BJP government?” Gandhi questioned, urging immediate action and justice.
The tragedy unfolded on Friday morning at the Piplodi Primary School when the roof suddenly gave way, killing seven students and injuring many more, according to Additional District Magistrate Abhishek Charan. The incident sparked protests from locals demanding accountability.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the incident, calling it “an extremely painful and shameful” failure of governance. “A government that cannot even repair school roofs—our children’s future—despite repeated complaints, has no right to speak of a ‘developed India’,” Kharge said in a post on X.
Kharge pointed to broader infrastructure failures under the BJP, referencing recent incidents in Delhi and Jodhpur where schoolchildren were either rescued from flooded classrooms or forced to study under trees due to building disrepair.
“The BJP, which boasts of development, has driven the country into decay—collapsing bridges, train accidents, cracked roads, and broken statues after inaugurations are now the norm,” he said. “Their only priority is the hunger for power.”
Both leaders extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and urged swift justice, holding the ruling BJP government accountable for negligence in ensuring basic safety in educational institutions.
