CJP Founder Dipke Alleges ‘Unofficial Emergency’ Under Modi Government

Nagpur, October 14 : Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of imposing an “unofficial Emergency” in the country, alleging restrictions on protests and the detention of demonstrators.

Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Dipke claimed that even unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar required permission and alleged that protesters were being sent to custody for five days. He also alleged that Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had been illegally sent to custody and questioned the use of the term “Urban Naxals” against those criticising the government.

Clarifying that the CJP was an independent pressure group with no affiliation to any political party, Dipke said his organisation and the INDIA bloc shared a common cause in opposing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“The INDIA bloc is fighting to save the country's democracy and Constitution,” he said, expressing concern over the alleged deletion of names from electoral rolls. He questioned how citizens could exercise their voting rights if their names were missing from the voter lists and raised concerns over the Supreme Court's role in cases involving alleged voter deletions, including in West Bengal.

Dipke asserted that the country would continue to uphold the Constitution and the ideals of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar despite what he described as attempts to impose the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology. He maintained that the right to protest was a fundamental right and called for solidarity with people facing injustice.

He reiterated that the CJP did not need to formally align with other political parties, stressing that all organisations and individuals should raise their voices against issues affecting the country. He also said that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had extended support during the CJP's protest at Jantar Mantar.

Responding to allegations against the protesters, Dipke urged senior advocate Harish Salve to submit any evidence he possessed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and asked the government to take appropriate action if such evidence existed.

Targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Dipke said the latter should focus on the state's drought situation instead of repeatedly bringing Pakistan, the United States and China into domestic issues. He called on the government to address farmers' problems and assured them of his organisation's support.

Dipke also criticised the RSS, alleging that it had flattered the British, and said social justice, as advocated by Dr Ambedkar, remained central to his organisation's ideology.

Rejecting the need for security, Dipke said he was prepared to face arrest if the authorities decided to take action against him. He further alleged that a video circulated by the Delhi Police had been edited.