Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke has revealed that the party's co-convenors Authosh Ranka and Saurav Das were the real decision-makers behind the movement, describing himself as someone who only followed their instructions. In an emotional video message on Dussehra, Dipke said the jailed duo were like his brothers and they had taken the "movement" forward.
The revelations came in a 16-minute-long video message posted on X on Tuesday, where Dipke, among other things, announced that the CJP had no plans to organise any protests until Diwali, while urging all "cockroaches" (as the CJP's supporters refer to themselves as) to take a break and "spend time with your families".
It was in this video message that Dipke revealed who were the real brains behind the CJP's protests and the July agitation that culminated after BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as the Union Education Minister.
Then came the 'School Thik Karo' campaign under which the CJP members were mostly raiding government schools in BJP-run states. In the last couple of weeks, the CJP had hit the streets demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over decisions and processes followed for the SIR exercise.
"I always feel that if anyone has really taken this movement forward, it is Ashu [Ashuthosh Ranka] and Saurav. Both of them have had a very, very big role. I was just following their orders, I'm telling you honestly," Dipke revealed.
The CJP founder added how it was those two individuals that were the ones calling the shots, and, contrary to what it might seem from outside, he was not the leader.
"My job was just to follow Ashu and Saurabh's orders. Outside it might seem like I was the leader, but I wasn't the leader, man. It was Saurabh and Ashu. Those who would just tell me, 'You have to go here tomorrow, you have to do this tomorrow, you have to do that,' and I would just quietly say, 'Okay, I'll do it.'"
DIPKE FOUNDED CJP, BUT WHY DID HE LET RANKA AND DAS CALL THE SHOTS?
He acknowledged that the two were better decision-makers than him, stating, "Because I know that the abilities they have, the decision-making skills they have are better than mine. That is who they are."
More importantly though, Abhijeet Dipke made it clear that his relationship with Saurav Das and Asuthosh Ranka went beyond simply following their instructions. He called the two co-convernors of the CJP as his brothers and family, admitting that their imprisonment had taken an emotional toll on him.
"I am getting emotional right now because Saurav is my brother. Ashu is my brother, they are my family," he says, adding that he cares for them "more than anything else".
Dipke also revealed that the three shared a separate WhatsApp group where they exchanged memes. He said he still opened the group to feel their presence, adding, "Even now, it's like they are in that group."
His emotional dependence on the two is also evident when he says their families have become his source of strength amid their imprisonment.
For context, Ranka and Das remain lodged behind bars in judicial custody following their attempt to unfurl the national flag at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 13. They allegedly trespassed by scaling a locked gate and violated a peace bond they had signed on October 10.
The two were part of a group of CJP members who had crossed police barricades and entered the protest venue, which had been denotified. The two CJP leaders also raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
ABHIJEET DIPKE REJECTS COMPARISON OF CJP PROTESTS TO FRANCE'S RIOTS, ARSON
In the video, Dipke also dismissed comparisons between the CJP movement and the unrest in France, arguing that Ranka and Das had chosen peaceful resistance despite being jailed.
Thousands of protesters, including school students, have taken to the streets across France over the state of the country's schools, with trade unions backing the demonstrations. The protests have also seen instances of violence and arson in cities including Paris, Marseille and Limoges.
"Have some shame, see what is happening in India. In India, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have gone to jail laughing. They didn't do anything like what's happening in France," Dipke said.
The CJP founder added that the two had chosen "peace" and "compassion" despite believing they were being wrongly jailed, entering prison "with a smile, not with anger, not with hatred in their heart".
Dipke compared their conduct to Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha, saying they had refused to abandon the path of non-violence despite their imprisonment.
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(Written by Shounak Sanyal)