CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke demands Amit Shah’s resignation over police action on ‘Sansad Chalo’ march

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation, alleging he ordered police action during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march. Dipke also criticised the government, Delhi Police and Baba Ramdev while pledging support to farmers’ protests

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday claimed orders to use force against students during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march must have come from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his resignation over the police crackdown.

Talking to reporters at his residence in hometown Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, he said democracy was in “danger” in the country and questions were being raised even on judiciary, while central probe agencies were being used to break political parties.

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“Saving democracy is not merely an Opposition issue now. The people of the country will have to come together (to save it),” Dipke insisted on his return home after more than a month-long CJP-led protest in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET exam paper leak, which culminated in the resignation of then-Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“There is a question mark even on judiciary. We all have seen how ED and CBI were used to break parties like the Shiv Sena and the NCP. The big institutions in the country had a duty to keep democracy alive and not create dictatorship of a single man. They let it happen. To stop this, not only the Opposition, but even the people will have to come together,” he asserted.

The 30-year-old activist criticized the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as new Education Minister and called him a “weird” man.

“If the Education Minister of the country applauds rapists, this means another weird man has been brought in after removing Dharmendra Pradhan. What message is being given to the country? They cannot do anything else because their party is full of goons. People like Ram Rahim (a rape convict) come out on parole during their tenure. This government supports goons and rapists,” he alleged.

Asked about Yoga guru and entrepreneur Ramdev’s comments that Gen Z, which led the stir at Jantar Mantar, has defamed India’s culture. Dipke took a dig at him and advised him to look after the business of his company Patanjali Ayurved.

The CJP founder insisted his outfit’s protest over the NEET paper leak was constitutional.

“We have fought for our rights against the paper leak in a constitutional way. If agitating with photos of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar in a legal way is defaming culture, we have done it. Baba Ramdev should look into Patanjali about which the Supreme Court has made adverse comments in the past,” he maintained.

“Gen Z can handle the country and its culture well. He (Ramdev) should concentrate on Patanjali else it may go out of business,” Dipke remarked.

He supported the demand for Shah’s resignation made by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

“Amit Shah should definitely resign. There is another thing being said: that the Cockroach Janta Party is receiving funding from outside or that the movement is being run from outside. If this is happening then it reflects the failure of a person like Amit Shah. If the CJP is being run from outside then what kind of ‘Chanakya’ is he? The order to use force against students on July 20 must have been issued by Amit Shah and no one else,” Dipke claimed.

Dipke assured he will stand with farmers if they need CJP support in their agitations.

“Farmers also want their children to have successful careers. Earlier they stood with us in our agitation. If farmer leaders require our support, we will stand with them. Wherever farmers need us, we will stand with them. I also belong to a farmer family. Many of us are from farmer families,” he stated.

Dipke opined the police force in the country should not follow BJP orders, but go by the Constitution.

“If not, they (police force) should switch to ‘khaki chaddi’ (half pants) and stand before the BJP headquarters, saying ‘main bhi chowkidar’,” the CJP said mockingly.

“If the police fear video recording from agitators, that means they have something wrong going on in their minds. Cameras were there on my face round the clock (during Delhi stir), but I did not fear. The police in this country should follow the Constitution. They don’t belong to a party but they belong to the country. They are not those who will run on BJP’s WhatsApp forwards,” he affirmed.

Dipke alleged the Delhi Police brought trucks filled with stones near the agitation place (Jantar Mantar) and later falsely claimed it was debris from a construction site.

“Trucks filled with stones were brought by the Delhi Police on Jul 19 and 20 morning at around 5:30. I have seen that personally. A damaged van was also brought and parked there. I asked the police about it and also made an X post questioning this.

“This was part of a plan by the police to show that the agitating students did stone pelting. I also met the DCP (of the area) over it and I was told the truck was carrying debris from a construction site. This all may have been part of a plan by BJP goons and the Delhi Police,” he alleged.