'You may be able to delete our posts, but can't erase us': Abhijeet Dipke says attempts to silence CJP will not succeed

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday accused the government of paying more attention to the group's online presence than to its demands, including the resignation of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests.

Dipke joined supporters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where large crowds gathered under heavy security for the party's planned demonstration.

Also Read | 'If Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign, PM Modi should remove him': Cockroach Janta Party

'This is a long struggle'

Addressing the crowd, Dipke said the campaign for Pradhan's resignation had been ongoing for a month but claimed the focus had shifted away from the issues being raised.

"My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space," Dipke reportedly told the crowd, drawing loud support from those present.

His remarks were met with cheers from supporters gathered at the venue.

Dipke also acknowledged the support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and said he would soon join the protest.

The CJP founder thanked Wangchuk for standing with the movement as it sought to draw attention to student-related concerns and demands for accountability.

Also Read | Flowers, books and no violence: Cockroach Janta Party issues protest guidelines

'Prepared to sacrifice my freedom'

Speaking about his arrival in Delhi earlier in the day, Dipke recalled his journey to the national capital and said he had prepared himself for the possibility of being detained.

He said that just before his flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, he felt as though he was experiencing his final moments of freedom.

"I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause," he said.

Dipke also claimed that fear of imprisonment had led many people to compromise their positions, but argued that young people and students remained committed to the cause.