Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke Sunday asserted that his agitation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
Speaking to reporters here, Dipke also claimed that the protest organised under the CJP’s banner at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi Saturday was largely successful, with around 7,000 people participating in it. The movement would now expand nationwide, he added.
The CJP, a youth-led online movement that has been demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC examinations.
Dipke reached his residence in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district Sunday morning and was welcomed by his family members.
Later, speaking to reporters, he said the agitation undertaken by the Cockroach Janata Party will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
“The protest we staged (at Jantar Mantar) was successful, as 6,000 to 7,000 people attended it. This agitation will go nationwide. We won’t step back till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,” Dipke asserted.
“We will roll out a further action plan to take this agitation nationwide,” he added.
Meanwhile, security at Dipke’s residence was beefed up.
“We have increased the security at his residence from today. Earlier, 11 security personnel were deployed, now the number has reached 15. The deployed staff is from the local police station as well as the city police headquarters,” an official from MIDC Waluj police station said.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar under the banner of the CJP, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, with Dipke delivering the message not to be “scared”.
At a press conference later in the national capital, CJP spokespersons announced that they will wait for a week either for the Centre to sack Pradhan or his voluntary resignation, after which they would launch a countrywide protest.
Dipke, who called for the protest, arrived in Delhi from the United States on Saturday morning, walking out of the airport carrying a copy of B R Ambedkar’s autobiography. After receiving permission from the Delhi Police, he reached Jantar Mantar.
Protesters, armed with posters demanding Pradhan’s resignation, were seen wearing cockroach masks, which were being distributed at the venue. Besides demanding the education minister’s resignation, the protesters also raised slogans demanding that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stop indulging in “Hindu-Muslim” politics, and hailed the motherland with “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogans.
Birthed as an online campaign in May, the CJP, which garnered over 22 million followers on Instagram, had exhorted youths to take part in the protest in the national capital over the issue of alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, in an apparent show of strength.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI’s Annie Raja and activists from Left student and youth organisations also participated in the protest.
PTI
