New Delhi, 24 July—Even as the Modi government desperately seeks an outlet to diffuse the crisis erupted from Delhi Police brutal handling of the march to Parliament on 20 July, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) today warned of a much larger nationwide movement if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by Saturday.
After a meeting with Union Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh, the CJP claimed that the government agreed in principle to two of their demands, while seeking a day’s time to consider the main demand of Pradhan’s resignation.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JP Nadda said that the meeting went on for almost two hours and the CJP delegation was told that they will be conveyed the government’s position on their demands during Saturday’s meeting.
“The meeting went on for almost two hours…They had three main demands and five suggestions for exam reforms. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion we had within the government,” Nadda said.
Sources said that there is a division of opinion in the government with one section pressing for diffusing the crisis by accepting the CJP’s main demand of Pradhan’s resignation, the other group led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the government must remain firm and go ahead with stern action against the outfit’s small leadership.
The government is taking a twin pronged approach. On one hand, it is trying to talk to the CJP leadership without accepting their main demand of Pradhan’s resignation and on the other it is also preparing for a stern action by arresting the CJP’s small leadership.
In between, the RSS has dubbed the CJP anti-national with Sangh’s national executive member Indresh Kumar saying that it was acting as an agency “agency of foreign forces”. He cautioned youths participating in the movement against becoming “puppets or agents” of those who “betray the country”.
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said that the government is anticipating a much larger crowd at Jantar Mantar over the weekend and may attempt to arrest the CJP leadership tonight.
We have been informed that a much larger crowd is expected tomorrow and Sunday. That is why the government is trying to detain or arrest us tonight,” Dipke said.
He warned that such a move will be a mistake and the movement will only grow stronger.
“If that happens, it will be another major mistake. When they took Sonam Sir away, the movement only grew stronger. When students were lathi-charged and injured, the protests intensified further. If we are also detained, the movement will spread even more across the country,” he added.
Dipke asserted that the only resolution would be Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
CJP spokesperson Sourav Das, who was part of the two-member delegation that met JP Nadda, echoed Dipke, saying the government must be advised not to carry on with such a misadventure.
“It will only lead to mass chaos and their ruin. Cockroaches all over the country will gather in large numbers in Delhi to peacefully protest such arrests of students!” he added.
In between, the Union Cabinet today approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, including a fine of up to Rs 10 crore, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement to this effect, official sources said.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister at the Parliament House complex approved the draft bill to hand stricter punishments to those involved in paper leaks as compared to the existing law, they said.
Protest meetings and demonstrations are being reported from across the country.
Thousands of protesters gathered in central Mumbai’s Dadar area under the banner of Shiv Sena (UBT) to demand Pradhan’s resignation.
During the ‘Tiranga Morcha’, organised by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party at the Shivaji Park, its leader Aaditya Thackeray said he called Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, urging him not to return home in Maharashtra until Pradhan steps down from his position.
Speaking at the gathering, Uddhav Thackeray said while the government has the power of ‘lathis’, the protesters have ‘tirangas’ (tricolours) in their hands.
The CJP claimed that thousands of supporters turned out on the streets of Kolkata in a show of solidarity with the student-led movement.
In a post on X, the party wrote, “Thousands of supporters on the streets of Kolkata in a massive show of support. Thank you Kolkata.”
The CJP announced that it would launch a dedicated website to gather photographs and videos from protesters to identify police personnel allegedly involved in the July 20 crackdown during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, saying it would seek FIRs against the officers and move court.
Addressing a press conference here, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that police personnel assaulted students and molested women protesters during the police action.
As we announced earlier, every officer who attacked students, injured them and molested young girls has been warned. We will not remain quiet. We will remember everything,” Das asserted.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
