Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday alleged that the directive to use force against students during the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" march came from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and called for his resignation over the police action.
Dipke also claimed that democracy in the country was under threat and questioned the functioning of institutions, including the judiciary.
He made these remarks after returning to his home in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar following a CJP-led protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar that lasted for over a month against the NEET paper leak. The agitation concluded with the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Addressing reporters at his residence, Dipke said, "Saving democracy is no longer just the Opposition's responsibility. The people of the country will have to unite to protect it."
He further alleged that even the judiciary was under scrutiny. "We have seen how agencies like the ED and CBI were used to split parties such as the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Institutions that were expected to safeguard democracy instead allowed the rise of one-man rule. To stop this, not only the Opposition but also the people must come together," he said.
'JOSHI IS A WEIRD MAN'
The 30-year-old activist also criticised the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as the new Union Education Minister, describing him as a "weird" person.
"If the country's Education Minister applauds rapists, it means another strange person has replaced Dharmendra Pradhan. What message does that send? They have no better option because their party is full of goons. People like Ram Rahim get parole during their rule. This government stands with goons and rapists," he alleged.
Responding to yoga guru and entrepreneur Ramdev's claim that Gen Z had tarnished India's culture through the Jantar Mantar protest, Dipke defended the agitation as entirely constitutional.
"We fought against the paper leak through lawful and constitutional means. If protesting peacefully with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar is considered insulting Indian culture, then so be it. Baba Ramdev should instead focus on Patanjali, about which the Supreme Court has made adverse observations in the past," he said.
"Gen Z is fully capable of protecting both the country and its culture. He should worry about Patanjali, or it may end up shutting down," he added.
'AMIT SHAH SHOULD RESIGN'
Dipke also supported Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's demand that Amit Shah step down.
"Amit Shah should certainly resign. There are allegations that the Cockroach Janta Party is receiving funding from abroad or that the movement is being controlled from outside the country. If that were true, it would only expose Amit Shah's failure. If CJP is being run from outside, then what kind of 'Chanakya' is he? The order to use force against students on July 20 could only have come from Amit Shah," he claimed.
Dipke also said the CJP would support farmers if they sought the party's assistance during future protests.
"Farmers want their children to build successful careers. They stood with us during our agitation, and if they ask for our support, we will stand with them. I also come from a farming family, and many of our members do as well," he said.
He urged the police to uphold the Constitution instead of acting on behalf of the BJP.
"If they cannot do that, they should wear 'khaki chaddi' and stand outside the BJP headquarters saying 'main bhi chowkidar'," he remarked.
He also questioned why the police were uncomfortable with protesters recording videos.
"If the police are afraid of being filmed, it suggests they have something to hide. Cameras were on me throughout the Delhi protest, but I had nothing to fear. The police belong to the country, not any political party. They should follow the Constitution, not BJP WhatsApp forwards," he said.
Dipke further alleged that the Delhi Police had brought trucks loaded with stones near the Jantar Mantar protest site and later claimed they were carrying construction debris.
"On July 19 and the morning of July 20, around 5.30 am, I personally saw trucks full of stones being brought there. A damaged van was also parked nearby. I questioned the police and even posted about it on X," he claimed.
According to Dipke, the move was intended to create the impression that protesting students had engaged in stone-pelting.
"I even met the DCP, who told me the truck contained debris from a construction site. I believe this may have been part of a plan involving BJP goons and the Delhi Police," he alleged.
