Jaipur: Congress stepped up its attack on the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP govt Monday over fresh restrictions on outsiders entering govt schools and taking photographs or videos without the principal’s permission.Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra questioned the need for the restrictions, alleging the move was aimed at keeping the govt’s failures out of public scrutiny.In a post on X, Gehlot said the govt should focus on fixing broken roofs, leaking classrooms, and teacher shortages instead of restricting access to schools. “The BJP govt has found a way to hide its failures and conceal the deteriorating state of the education system instead of improving govt schools,” he said.Gehlot questioned the logic behind the restrictions, saying that if everything was fine in govt schools, there was no reason to fear public scrutiny. He said photographs of damaged buildings, teacher shortages, and problems faced by students should not be kept away from the public.Dotasra alleged the move was less about school security and more about shielding the govt’s failures. “Education dept has chosen restrictions over transparency by stopping entry, photography and videography and keeping a watch on those who ask questions,” he said.He said govt schools belonged to the people and should not be treated as the private property of any political party. He also highlighted the role of parents, local representatives and communities in monitoring school management and development.Congress representatives demanded that the restrictions be withdrawn, saying govt schools needed greater public scrutiny, not less.
