New Delhi: Barely weeks after ending its 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has indicated that the organisation is preparing to launch the next phase of its campaign, which he described as “season 2.”
Dipke also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action on July 20, when CJP protesters tried to march towards Parliament. He demanded that Shah apologise on the floor of the House.
“Why is Amit Shah running from Parliament? He should come and apologise for the July 20 lathi charge. Pellet guns were fired, and tear gas was used on his instructions. Why is he running from Parliament now,” he said.
The CJP leader was speaking to volunteers and supporters at an open gathering in Delhi’s Naraina. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place at a banquet hall, but Dipke alleged that the venue cancelled the booking after facing pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“This is the beginning of season 2. Many people on Instagram were asking when will Season 2 start. I would say that season 2 at Jantar Mantar is going to start very soon,” Dipke said.
He claimed that efforts to prevent the volunteers’ meeting had ultimately helped the organisation reach a wider audience and mobilise more supporters, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“The more they go against us, the more it works in our favour. They’re unable to understand how to deal with us. They thought if they cut the water, food at Jantar Mantar we would go back… But we did not,” he said.
Dipke said the cancellation of the private meeting had resulted in the event becoming a public gathering.
“Today also they thought if they threaten the banquet hall we won’t hold the meet. Now the closed door meeting has become a public event. I think they want a Jantar Mantar everywhere,” he added.
The CJP had withdrawn its nationwide agitation on July 25 after holding discussions with the government. Its protest at Jantar Mantar, centred on the alleged NEET paper leak, continued for 36 days and attracted students and young volunteers from different parts of the country. Several opposition leaders also extended support to the agitation.
Dipke alleged that the organisation faced considerable difficulty in arranging a venue for its volunteers’ meeting, claiming that a number of establishments declined to host the event.
“We were going to have a volunteer’s meet here, for which we had booked this hall. We went to many places; we were not given a hall. We were turned away from several places. They said if we give the hall we would face problems. With great difficulty we got this hall, but they were told they would be hanged upside down if they gave us the hall,” he told reporters.
He further alleged that the BJP was warning venue owners against associating with the CJP.
“The BJP is intimidating people that if they give a hall to us they will face action,” he alleged.
According to Dipke, the gathering was meant to discuss ways to expand the protest in Jharkhand, where student leader Devendra Nath Mahto is on hunger strike. The meeting was also expected to focus on the CJP’s initiative to campaign for better schools in villages.
“Ranchi protest is led by Devendra Mahto, who is sitting on a hunger strike. Our volunteers are supporting. Today we were going to discuss how to strengthen the Jharkhand agitation, and how to continue our campaign for schools in villages,” he said.
In a post on X, Dipke outlined the social concerns that the organisation intends to raise through its campaign.
“We want an India where children carry the tricolour to school, not sell it at traffic signals out of poverty.”
The CJP’s prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar had preceded the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The July 20 march towards Parliament resulted in police action, with protesters alleging the use of force, tear gas and pellet guns. Opposition parties later raised the issue of the police response in Parliament.
Following the conclusion of the agitation, the CJP announced the formation of its national team and appointed Dipke as its national convener as it began developing a formal organisational structure.
