Rajasthan Assembly Witnesses Heated Exchange Over Minister's Controversial 'Bhaang' Remark
The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly descended into chaos on Monday as school education minister Madan Dilawar made a highly controversial statement while addressing questions about teacher vacancies in English-medium and Swami Vivekanand Model Schools established during the previous Congress government.
Minister's 'Bhaang' Comment Sparks Immediate Backlash
Minister Dilawar, while responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour, claimed that numerous schools were opened by the Congress administration without proper planning. "Some schools seem to have been opened by people under the influence of 'bhaang'," Dilawar remarked, directly targeting former education minister and current Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra.
This inflammatory comment triggered immediate and vigorous protests from Opposition benches. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully rose to strongly object, retorting, "You are the education minister. What kind of reply is this? It appears you are the one speaking after consuming bhaang."
Specific Allegations About School Conversions and Vacancies
Dilawar elaborated on his claims, stating that 203 schools in Dotasra's Laxmangarh constituency were converted into English-medium institutions without creating corresponding teaching positions. The minister made these remarks while replying to BJP MLA Mahant Balaknath's supplementary question.
The education minister further alleged that the previous Congress government converted 3,737 government schools from primary to senior secondary levels into English-medium Mahatma Gandhi schools without establishing necessary teaching posts. "The Congress government converted thousands of schools into English medium but did not create a single post for teachers. In some places, teachers were appointed who themselves did not study in English medium," Dilawar asserted.
Opposition Counters With Questions About Existing Infrastructure
Leader of Opposition Jully countered by asking what happened to the teaching cadre created for Mahatma Gandhi schools during the Congress regime. He also demanded specific details about current vacancies in Swami Vivekanand Model Schools.
The exchange grew more heated as Dilawar defended his position by pointing to extremely low enrollment figures in some institutions. "There are schools where there are 1, 2, or 10 students. Can all grades of teachers be appointed in such schools?" he questioned, adding that teacher deployment would be based on actual need.
Fundamental Questions About Educational Access Emerge
Jully challenged this perspective with fundamental questions about educational rights. "Do children in schools with 10 or 20 students not have the right to education?" he demanded, accusing the current government of failing to adequately address rising dropout rates across the state.
The confrontation highlighted deep divisions in educational policy between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress, with the controversial 'bhaang' remark serving as a flashpoint for broader debates about school planning, teacher appointments, and educational access in Rajasthan.
