Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), said the meeting will focus on the dwindling trust of people in institutions like the media and judiciary and also take up issues like ethanol-blended fuel and rising unemployment.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) ruled out a political debut for now and announced its support for the protesting students in Jharkhand. Founder Abhijeet Dipke said the CJP was in touch with the protesters and supported their demands, and they will go to Ranchi to express solidarity.
Students in Ranchi are protesting against alleged irregularities in State recruitment examinations and are demanding reforms and a probe by Central agencies.
Mr. Dipke said the CJP will work as a “pressure group”. “People have lost faith in institutions. May it be politics, judiciary, the media or the Election Commission, their credibility has reduced. These institutions need to be made accountable, neutral. A public movement is necessary for that,” he said in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar where the CJP’s core committee has gathered for a two-day meeting to outline a roadmap.
The CJP will keep working on issues related to education, employment, inflation, high cost of living and the economy, he said.
When asked if the group was in touch with Sonam Wangchuk, Mr. Dipke said the climate activist is the group’s “mentor” and will continue to guide them.
He said people are fed up with defections and breaking of political parties. “People vote for someone, but then that person is seen in some other party the very same evening. There is frustration against it. That is why people have kept their differences aside and have come together to show their support to us,” he said, adding that the CJP’s responsibility has increased after the Jantar Mantar protests.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said they will continue to seek legal aid and push for the withdrawal of FIRs against students who had participated in the July protests. “The question is, what are we doing against the police who have indulged in violence? We are giving legal help to all those students who have been affected. FIRs are being withdrawn in many States because of it,” he said.
Mr. Das said doxxing of young girls was unacceptable and illegal, and those responsible should be booked.
Vaishnavi Gaur, another CJP spokesperson, said “children should not be bullied”. She said that the CJP will continue to work “on our youth movement”.
Published – August 05, 2026 01:16 pm IST
