Daijiworld Media Network - Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 26: Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat visited the residence of NEET paper leak protester Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday, a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, and assured his family of support, including seeking government security for the activist.
Abhijeet Dipke, who spearheaded a month-long protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi under the banner of the "Cockroach Janata Party" over the alleged NEET paper leak, has drawn national attention for his campaign. Several political leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, had extended support to the agitation and remained in touch with him throughout the protest.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Dipke's family, Shirsat said he had deliberately postponed his visit while the protest was underway to avoid giving it a political colour.
"I had planned to meet Abhijeet earlier, but my visit at that time could have triggered political controversy. Today, he has achieved a significant victory, and as a young man from my constituency, it is my duty to stand by him and congratulate him," Shirsat said.
The minister also announced that he would request Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to provide official security to Dipke upon his return to Maharashtra.
"Abhijeet is expected to return to his native place in the next two to three days. I will personally request the Chief Minister to ensure government security is provided so that there is no threat to his life," he said.
Targeting the Opposition, Shirsat alleged that several political leaders and parties had attempted to derive political mileage from the agitation.
"The Central government responded positively to Abhijeet's demands, which led to this outcome. However, many Opposition leaders tried to use the protest for their own political interests. There was also competition within the INDIA bloc to claim credit for the Delhi protest," he alleged.
Abhijeet's father, Bhagwan Dipke, welcomed the minister's visit and said it answered a question that had troubled him during the protest.
"Many leaders called me and visited our home during the agitation. But I kept wondering why the Guardian Minister, with whom I had worked for 15 years, neither visited nor called. Today, he has answered that question by coming to our home," he said.
Bhagwan Dipke added that he agreed with Shirsat's decision to avoid visiting during the protest, saying it prevented the agitation from becoming politicised. He said the family would decide the future course of the movement after Abhijeet returns home in the coming days.