Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday demanded Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation, alleging that the July 20 police excesses during the Parliament march against examination irregularities were carried out on his instructions.
“The way students were attacked, and their blood was shed while they were protesting, could not have happened without Shah’s orders,” Dipke told journalists in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Dipke’s demand came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Shah of ordering the crackdown on the protesters and demanded his resignation. He said he seconded Gandhi. “I also believe that he [Shah] should resign.”
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He dismissed the allegations that CJP received foreign funding. “If we are receiving foreign funds despite Shah being at the helm of the home ministry, then it is also his failure. What kind of Chanakya are you then? In that case, he [Shah] should also resign.”
Alleges police orchestrated violence
Dipke alleged that the Delhi Police orchestrated stone-throwing to justify action against the protesters. He added that the police brought a truckload of stones and a damaged vehicle to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site on July 20 to create the impression that the crackdown was a response to violence.
{{/usCountry}}Dipke alleged that the Delhi Police orchestrated stone-throwing to justify action against the protesters. He added that the police brought a truckload of stones and a damaged vehicle to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site on July 20 to create the impression that the crackdown was a response to violence.
{{/usCountry}}“The Delhi Police orchestrated the stone-throwing. BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] goons arrived, threw stones, and students were blamed.”
Claims BJP threatened him, family
Dipke accused BJP members of threatening him and his family to pressure him into joining the party. “I was threatened. My parents were also threatened to coerce me into joining the BJP. They told us to either join the party or face consequences.”
BJP rejects allegations
BJP leader Keshav Upadhye attacked Dipke, saying he should join the Congress if he wanted to follow Gandhi’s line. “He was the face of a protest. It was the BJP government that accepted his demands by bringing in the bill against paper leaks and accepting [Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan]’s resignation. He should have respected that, but instead he is indulging in politics. If he wants to follow Rahul Gandhi’s line, then he should join the Congress.” The BJP denied claims that Dipke or his family members were threatened.
Background
Pradhan resigned on Saturday following weeks of protests against examination irregularities that brought central Delhi to a halt and energised the Opposition. The resignation was the first time a popular street protest forced a Union minister in the National Democratic Alliance government’s three terms to step down.
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Pradhan’s resignation came days after students defied police barricading to join what became the largest street protests in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. Police have since been under fire over allegations of excessive force used to disperse the marchers.