Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 15: The Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke was allegedly slapped by some people before his supporters caught hold of them and thrashed them while he was participating in a pre-announced protest rally in Jaipur on Monday, the police said.
Mr Dipke, who has repeatedly insisted that the protests held by his movement would be non-violent, found himself at the receiving end of violence while the CJP enthusiasts were carrying him on their shoulders when a man pulled him by a cloth he was wearing around his neck. He and another man then slapped and hit the CJP founder repeatedly before being taken aside and thrashed by Dipke’s supporters.
The incident occurred at Shaheed Smarak where a large number of youths had gathered to protest over issues such as the alleged NEET paper leak and unemployment.
According to police and eyewitnesses, as Mr Dipke arrived at the protest site and was being carried on supporters’ shoulders, some youths in the crowd allegedly slapped him. Following the incident, his supporters caught hold of the accused and assaulted them before the police intervened.
The police later detained two youths in connection with the incident, officials said. Protesters carried placards with slogans against corruption and paper leaks, and demanded action on youth-related issues.
During the protest, slogans were raised demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest was organised by the CJP over issues related to examination irregularities, paper leaks, and unemployment, among others, police said.
The CJP had declared during a protest in Delhi on June 6 that the organisation would hold similar demonstrations across the country unless Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned within a week over NEET and other paper leaks and alleged systemic issues related to education. On Monday, the organisation, which started as a satirical party, held a demonstration at the Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur to protest the leaks, education issues and unemployment.
Reacting to the assault, Dipke took to X to say that the CJP would not be deterred and would continue to hold peaceful protests. “Physical attacks are a sign of fear and cowardice. We will continue to raise our voices peacefully. I am a follower of Gandhi and Ambedkar, and I will keep fighting this battle with peace and love. PS: Dharmendra Pradhan must resign!” he wrote.
Police officials said six people have been detained and are being questioned at the Vidhayakpuri police station. “The identities of the people and their motive behind the attack are yet to be established. Their names, addresses, and other details are being recorded. An investigation has been launched and the entire sequence of events is being examined,” said an official.
The CJP had not received permission to hold the protest until Sunday night, but a conditional approval was given later. The conditions included that no more than 800 people would participate. A similar protest was held in Bengaluru on Sunday in which hundreds joined despite heavy rains.
