Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 13: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced plans for a fresh round of protests across the country, with party founder Abhijeet Dipke terming the upcoming campaign “Season 2 of Jantar Mantar”.
The announcement followed the last-minute cancellation of a CJP volunteers’ meeting scheduled at a banquet hall in Delhi’s Naraina. Dipke alleged that the venue owner withdrew permission after coming under pressure from the ruling BJP.
Addressing a public gathering, Dipke said the party had been receiving messages on social media from supporters asking when the second phase of its Jantar Mantar agitation would begin.
“Many people were commenting on Instagram about when Season 2 of Jantar Mantar will begin. I want to tell them that Season 2 of Jantar Mantar is going to start very soon,” he said.
According to Dipke, the party had booked a hall for a volunteers’ meeting but was denied access when organisers reached the venue. He claimed that the CJP had faced similar difficulties while approaching other venues in the area, with owners allegedly citing pressure from unidentified persons.
Dipke further alleged that the venue finally arranged for the meeting came under pressure on the morning of the event and that its owners were threatened with consequences if they allowed the CJP gathering.
He accused the BJP of attempting to prevent the party from conducting its activities, but said such alleged pressure would not deter the CJP.
“If they think such petty actions will frighten us, they are sorely mistaken. As much as you threaten, we are not going to be scared,” Dipke said.
The BJP has not immediately issued a response to the allegations.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had already begun preparations for its next phase of mobilisation. He said the CJP would undertake a nationwide “listening tour” to interact with the public and understand their concerns, with education set to be one of the key issues.
“We are now embarking on a nationwide ‘listening tour’ to hear what the public has to say. We will run a campaign, and we are prioritising the issue of education starting from Independence Day,” Das said.
He described the campaign as the second phase of the CJP’s movement and said protests over governance and administrative issues were already being witnessed in different parts of the country.
The CJP had earlier conducted a 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue. The agitation witnessed the participation of students, young volunteers and opposition leaders from across the country.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the protest on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike before being shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated.
The protest witnessed police action on July 20 when demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament. The agitation was subsequently called off on July 25 following talks with the government and assurances on the protesters’ demands.
The CJP later announced its national team, with Dipke appointed as national convener, signalling plans to expand the organisation and its activities across the country.