Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke received threats, warning him to join the BJP or face consequences, his father claimed on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Bhagwanrao Dipke said he saw the alleged threat on YouTube around mid-May, shortly after his son launched the CJP.
Event Context
“Around May 15, 16 or 17, we saw a reel on YouTube. It said that if he didn’t become a BJP member, ‘we know where your parents live and we will deal with them’,” he said.
The remarks came as Dipke returned to his home district in Maharashtra after leading weeks of protests in New Delhi over examination irregularities.
“He has done really good work. He sacrificed his own job and dedicated it to the nation. The education he attained, he did not use it for himself; he used it for the public,” Dipke’s father added.
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Speaking about his son’s homecoming, Bhagwanrao Dipke said the family deliberately kept the welcome low-key.
“He does not like too much show or publicity,” he said. “Even when he had visited our village earlier, he did not allow any such celebrations or arrangements. He prefers a simple life and does not like unnecessary attention,” he told PTI.
The CJP founder completed his schooling in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar before earning a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Pune. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Public Relations from Boston University in the United States, he claimed.
Between 2020 and 2023, he also worked as a digital and social media volunteer for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He launched the satirical online movement, the CJP, on May 16, after CJI Surya Kant called the youth of the country “cockroaches”.
The campaign saw millions of followers on social media before evolving into a nationwide youth movement. Dipke later returned from Boston a month later to lead demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, followed by many other cities. The CJP demanded the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and student suicides.
Thousands of students marched to the Parliament on July 20, protesting over the irregularities in the examination system. The protest saw police crackdown on multiple students and later, FIRs registered against them.
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The agitation was called off on July 25 after the government agreed to several demands, including the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters, compensation for affected families, and discussions on education reforms.
Dipke then reportedly got diagnosed with typhoid before returning home on Wednesday. His mother told PTI, “It feels wonderful. He is recently diagnosed with typhoid, so we have not made any elaborate arrangements. We have kept the welcome simple.”
Upon reaching his hometown, Dipke posted on X that he had paid his respects to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar.
Earlier, Dipke’s parents said the family had been receiving a steady stream of marriage proposals for the 30-year-old activist since he came up as the face of the CJP’s nationwide protests.
His mother, Anita Dipke, said proposals had started coming even before the agitation but increased significantly after the movement gained national attention. “We have been asking Abhijeet to get married for some time. When he returns home, we will discuss it with him again, but the final decision will be his,” she said earlier.
He also said “protesting students are not terrorists, government should stop troubling them.” Speaking to reporters, he added, “After spending the last 36 days at Jantar Mantar, it feels wonderful to finally be back home,” Dipke said.
“After such a long struggle, I will finally be able to sleep peacefully in my own house and eat food cooked by my mother. That makes me very happy,” he added.
Commenting on the anti-paper leak bill passed in Parliament on Wednesday, Dipke questioned the government’s intent. “I believe more such Bills will continue to come. But unless the government’s intent changes, nothing will really improve,” he said.
Asked whether he had watched Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s videos on social media, Dipke took a swipe at him. “I think he would do very well as an influencer. He is doing an excellent job in that role,” he said. “Perhaps he should step down as Prime Minister and become an influencer, while someone else handles the responsibilities of governing,” Dipke added.
The CJP founder also repeated his warning over the alleged harassment of students and pending FIRs against protesters. “If the FIRs against the students are not withdrawn and they continue to be harassed, we will launch another agitation,” Dipke said.
Match Outlook
“The government must understand that the anger among students has not subsided. If they think the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan alone will calm the situation, they are mistaken,” he added. “There is tremendous anger among the youth, and if necessary, the next agitation will be even bigger than the last one,” Dipke said.
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According to the CJP, the government had assured that all FIRs registered against protesters and organisers across the country would be withdrawn and that no fresh legal action would be taken against students who participated in the agitation. The party said it was also promised a written guarantee on these commitments.
CJP leaders now allege that students are still being detained and FIRs have not been withdrawn in several states. They have accused the authorities of “targeting” and “witch-hunting” students despite the agreement reached on July 25. The party has also criticised a recent Supreme Court interim order allowing investigations into already registered FIRs to continue, claiming it contradicts the government’s earlier assurances.
Abhijeet Dipke has warned that the CJP would launch another nationwide “massive peaceful protest” if the alleged harassment of students continues and the promised withdrawal of FIRs was not implemented.
