Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday alleged that politics in the country over the last decade is centred around the Hindu-Muslim agenda, calling for a change in the government’s priorities and flagging unemployment as a pressing issue.
Addressing a press conference in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a day after leading an agitation in Delhi, Dipke reiterated the demand for Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid the row over the alleged NEET paper leak and CBSE OSM glitches.
He vowed to prepare an agenda to overhaul the education system after Pradhan’s resignation.
Dipke stressed that the CJP movement cannot be compared with demonstrations that occurred in some neighbouring countries, asserting that CJP is exclusively for Gen Z and it won't be associated with any political party.
"We are seeing that the country's politics has moved to the Hindu-Muslim agenda in the past 10-12 years. This issue can't provide jobs. We need to shift that focus, and the government's priorities should also change.
"After Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, we will prepare an agenda for bringing changes in the education system. This will not end here because employment is also a key issue in the country," he added.
Dipke said someone should own up to the (NEET) paper leak that has impacted a large number of students.
''How can the system work efficiently if no one is taking the responsibility? If any company is facing losses because of someone, will that loss turn into profit till that person resigns?", Dipke said while justifying the demand for Pradhan's resignation.
A person is fired from a company after a couple of mistakes, but here, the papers of exams organised by the government are frequently getting leaked, he said, asking,"'How can we believe that you (government) are ready to accept mistakes till the resignation is finalised?''
He also slammed statements attributed to the profile of protesters who joined the Jantar Mantar demonstration.
''A huge crowd at Jantar Mantar and photographs speak about the people. How many people will they label as Pakistanis? Will they call the agitating students, the Opposition and media asking questions as Pakistanis?" he said without naming anybody.
Are the 'IT cell' people (of the ruling parties) only Indians?" he questioned.
Dipke said the CJP movement, which began as an online satirical platform over the "cockroach" terminology, cannot be equated with agitations that had taken place in some neighbouring countries.
"Because, here (in India) there is a system. Those who compare our movement with the ones that occurred in neighbouring countries should know that the Jantar Mantar was very peaceful. Youths who attended the agitation came from all corners of the country,' he added.
Elaborating on his future plans, Dipke said the agitations will be staged on a larger scale in a peaceful manner.
Dipke also targeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his purported criticism.
"Fadnavis should think before speaking, as he is the CM of a progressive state like Maharashtra, and not of Uttar Pradesh. I have a book with Dr Ambedkar's photo. Did the leader of the ruling party (Fadnavis) mean that showing Ambedkar's photo is anarchy? Is giving the slogan of 'Jai Bheem' anarchy according to them?" he said.
Dipke stressed that CJP will not associate itself with any political party, hinting that outside support to the movement is acceptable.
''We have not spoken to leaders of any political party. This movement is for Gen Z. Those who want to support us can support us externally, but we will not associate ourselves with any political party,'' he added.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday asserted that his agitation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
Speaking to reporters here, Dipke also claimed that the protest organised under the CJP's banner at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday was largely successful, with around 7,000 people participating in it. The movement would now expand nationwide, he added.
The CJP, a youth-led online movement that has been demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC examinations.
Dipke reached his residence in the MIDC Waluj area in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Sunday morning and was welcomed by his family members.
Later, speaking to reporters, he said the agitation undertaken by the Cockroach Janata Party will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
''The protest we staged (at Jantar Mantar) was successful, as 6,000 to 7,000 people attended it. This agitation will go nationwide. We won't step back till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,'' Dipke asserted.
"We will roll out a further action plan to take this agitation nationwide," he added.
Meanwhile, security at Dipke's residence was beefed up.
"We have increased the security at his residence from today. Earlier, 11 security personnel were deployed, now the number has reached 15. The deployed staff is from the local police station as well as the city police headquarters,'' an official from MIDC Waluj police station said.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar under the banner of the CJP, demanding Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, with Dipke delivering the message not to be "scared".
At a press conference later in the national capital, CJP spokespersons announced that they will wait for a week either for the Centre to sack Pradhan or his voluntary resignation, after which they would launch a countrywide protest.
Dipke, who called for the protest, arrived in Delhi from the United States on Saturday morning, walking out of the airport carrying a copy of B R Ambedkar's autobiography. After receiving permission from the Delhi Police, he reached Jantar Mantar.
Protesters, armed with posters demanding Pradhan's resignation, were seen wearing cockroach masks, which were being distributed at the venue. Besides demanding the education minister's resignation, the protesters also raised slogans demanding that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stop indulging in "Hindu-Muslim" politics, and hailed the motherland with "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans.
Birthed as an online campaign in May, the CJP, which garnered over 22 million followers on Instagram, had exhorted youths to take part in the protest in the national capital over the issue of alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, in an apparent show of strength.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI's Annie Raja and activists from Left student and youth organisations also participated in the protest.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | It is the responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign for exam-related lapses, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said here on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference a day after his newly-formed outfit held a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital seeking Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG 206 paper leak as well as issues being faced in the CBSE on-screen marking (OSM) mechanism, Dipke stressed on the need to ask questions.
The system will become proper only when the youth raise their voice, he said.
"Merely voting once in five years is not politics. People must ask questions to those for whom they have voted," he said.
When asked about why he did not speak about PM Modi (during the Jantar Mantar agitation), Dipke said, "If accountability (for the exam lapses) is not getting fixed, it is the responsibility of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan."
If he can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, can't he stop the paper leak, Dipke further asked.
Asserting that the Jantar Mantar protest had shown that Gen Z was not afraid, he said youth must raise their voices against wrongs.
The youth of the country is getting "ruined" as they are neither getting employment nor are their exams being conducted properly, he claimed. The agitation will continue till Pradhan resigns, Dipke added.
"Because questions are not asked, paper leaks continue to take place," he said.
Exuding confidence in the support he was getting from the youth, Dipke said his parents fear for him but he has told them he is not alone now.
Talking about future plans would be too early since the CJP's movement is just 15 days old, Dipke added.