CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke
“Meet me at the airport.” That’s the call to supporters from 30‑year‑old Abhijeet Dipke, founder of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who says he will return from the US on June 6, “fully aware I may be arrested as soon as I land”.Dipke told TOI his purpose “is to lead a peaceful, constitution‑bound protest demanding the immediate resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination failures”.From the airport, Dipke intends to walk to Parliament Street police station to formally request permission for a demonstration to the end point at Jantar Mantar. The protest, he says, will remain non-violent and constitutional.“I am pretty confident there will be consequences upon my return, (but) I am also sure about coming back,” Dipke said from the US.But he remains optimistic too. “There are many people who have extended their support and said they will join the peaceful protest. I am coming back to exercise my fundamental right given to me by the Constitution of India,” he added.The protest comes amid several examination controversies, including the NEET paper leak row and concerns surrounding recruitment and entrance examinations such as CUET, CBSE and SSC GD that Dipke says have “upended the future of more than 10 million students”. Dipke said the issue goes beyond any single examination. “The longer plan is to fix accountability within the govt,” he said.Asked whether concerns about his family or threats he’s received worried him, Dipke replied in the negative. “I have already dealt with all kinds of death threats in the last few days,” he said. He’s also unfazed by allegations about his funding and claims that he’s trying to trigger a Gen Z revolution of the kind witnessed in Bangladesh and Nepal. “All I have done is question the govt,” he said.Dipke launched CJP’s X account on May 16. Within four days, it crossed 200,000 followers. The account was blocked in India on May 21. Dipke challenged the block before Delhi HC, arguing that his content was “purely satirical, posed no threat to national security or public order, and that the ban violated both his right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) and basic principles of natural justice”.On May 29, the court declined to immediately restore the handle, directing MeitY’s review committee to examine the appeal. The next hearing is on July 7. The original handle remains accessible outside India even as CJP has shifted much of its outreach to Instagram, with 20 million+ followers, and a backup account on X.
