'Students were scolded, made to sit inside': Former Rajasthan Minister Bhaya slams govt over school roof collapse

The tragedy has also sparked protests in Piplodi village, where angry residents vandalised police vehicles, accusing the administration of negligence.

A tragic incident in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Friday morning has left seven schoolchildren dead and several others injured after the roof of the Piplodi Primary School collapsed while classes were underway.

The horrific collapse has triggered widespread anger among residents, grieving families, and political leaders, who allege gross negligence despite repeated warnings about the dilapidated condition of the school building.

Former Rajasthan Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya condemned the incident as “very unfortunate,” accusing authorities of ignoring villagers’ repeated complaints.

“On the day of the incident, students also reported that parts of the roof were falling, but despite this, they were scolded and made to sit inside,” Bhaya told ANI.

Bhaya also lashed out at what he termed the government’s “discriminatory” compensation policy. “If someone dies in a plane crash, they get compensation of Rs 1 crore, but if a tribal child dies, the compensation is just Rs 10 lakh. We condemn this discrimination and demand that the CM provide Rs 1 crore compensation per child,” he said.

He further called for a state-wide survey of all school buildings to prevent similar tragedies.

One of the victims, Payal, was laid to rest on Saturday. Her relative, Ram Dayal, demanded justice and support for the family. “No investigation has been done so far. We want a job for a family member. The incident happened at 7:40 am and 32 children were trapped under the debris,” he said.

The tragedy has also sparked protests in Piplodi village, where angry residents vandalised police vehicles, accusing the administration of negligence.

“This was a big incident. The villagers want a meeting with the administration,” said DSP Harsh Raj Singh Khareda. The District Collector later visited the site and met the families of the victims.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep sorrow over the incident and ordered a thorough probe into the causes of the collapse. Former CM Vasundhara Raje, who visited the injured at a hospital in Jhalawar, said the tragedy could have been averted. “Had this building been identified as unsafe and students shifted elsewhere, this would not have happened,” she said.