Cockroach Janta Party founder plans protest on return from US, expects arrest

“Meet me at the airport.” That's the call to supporters from Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who intends to return from the US on June 6, "fully aware I may be arrested on landing".

Dipke's plan "is to lead a peaceful protest demanding immediate resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination failures".

Protest will be non-violent & constitutional, says Dipke

On June 6, after landing at the airport. Abhijeet Dipke intends to walk to Parliament Street police station to formally request permission for a demonstration to the end point at Jantar Mantar. The protest, he says, will remain non-violent and constitutional.

“I am pretty confident there will be consequences upon my return, (but) I am also sure about coming back,” Dipke told TOI from US. But he remains optimistic too. “There are many people who have extended their support and said they will join the protest,” he said.

The protest comes amid several examination controversies, including the NEET paper leak row and concerns surrounding recruitment and entrance examinations such as CUET, CBSE and SSC GD that Dipke says have “upended the future of more than 10 million students”.

Dipke said the issue goes beyond any single examination. “The longer plan is to fix accountability within govt,” he said.

Asked whether concerns about his family or threats he’s received worried him, Dipke replied in the negative. “I have already dealt with all kinds of death threats in the last few days,” he said.

He’s also unfazed by allegations about his funding and claims that he’s trying to trigger a Gen Z revolution of the kind witnessed in Bangladesh and Nepal.

Dipke launched CJP’s X account on May 16. Within four days, it crossed 200,000 followers.