‘CJP will work as pressure group to hold democratic institutions accountable’: Abhijeet Dipke

MUMBAI: Emphasising that India needs a strong and independent public pressure group to hold institutions accountable, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday said the organisation would continue to function as a pressure group rather than go down the political route

MUMBAI: Emphasising that India needs a strong and independent public pressure group to hold institutions accountable, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday said the organisation would continue to function as a pressure group rather than go down the political route. Dipke also announced that the CJP would travel to Jharkhand to support the ongoing students’ movement, and clarified that Sonam Wangchuk would continue to serve as their mentor.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke (PTI)

The remarks came as the CJP began its two-day core committee meeting to deliberate on its future strategy, organisational expansion and the key public issues it plans to take up in the coming months. The first day of the conclave took place at Dipke’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Among the issues on the CJP’s agenda are the declining public trust in democratic institutions, the controversial ethanol-blended fuel (E20) policy and rising unemployment. “Today, people have lost faith in key democratic institutions, whether political parties, the media, the judiciary or the Election Commission,” Dipke told reporters.

The activist said that the overwhelming support to the CJP protest reflected people’s frustration and anger against the weakening of these institutions. “People from across political ideologies came together in this movement because they were united by a common concern for protecting democracy,” he said. “Their participation demonstrated the strength of a genuine people’s movement.”

Dipke said that restoring accountability, transparency and institutional neutrality required a sustained public movement capable of exerting continuous public pressure. “For now, CJP will continue to function as a pressure group,” he told reporters. “At this stage, India needs a strong, independent public pressure group that can hold institutions accountable.”

Extending support to the students’ agitation in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Dipke said the protesters had been assured of all possible assistance. “Our volunteers are already on the ground, and we will also be visiting Jharkhand to back the agitation,” he said.

On Sonam Wangchuk’s absence from the two-day conclave, Dipke said he had not been invited because he was recuperating, but reiterated that his role within the organisation remained unchanged. “Sonam Wangchuk is our mentor and will continue to be our mentor,” he said.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das also announced legal assistance for those targeted in the doxxing campaign following the protests. Doxxing is the act of publicly revealing private or identifying information about a person online without their consent, usually with the intent of shaming, harassing, intimidating, or causing them harm. “The doxxing campaign carried out by supporters of the BJP and RSS is illegal, and there should be legal action against those responsible. We are providing legal support to all the victims through our lawyers,” Das said.

The young activist added that the CJP had been providing legal and medical assistance to the victims of police brutality during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ agitation at and around Jantar Mantar. The organisation is also coordinating with state governments to facilitate the withdrawal of cases against student protesters, and the process has already begun in several states.