'I only followed...': Abhijeet Dipke says he was 'not the leader' behind CJP protests

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke has credited jailed co-convenors Ashuthosh Ranka and Saurav Das with playing the leading role in driving the movement, saying he largely acted on their instructions despite appearing to be its face. In a 16-minute video message shared on X on Tuesday, Dipke spoke about his close bond with the two leaders and the emotional impact of their imprisonment. He also announced that the party would not hold any protests until Diwali, asking supporters, who call themselves "cockroaches", to take a break and "spend time with your families". Reflecting on the contributions of Ranka and Das, Dipke said, "I always feel that if anyone has really taken this movement forward, it is Ashu [Ashuthosh Ranka] and Saurav. Both of them have had a very, very big role. I was just following their orders, I'm telling you honestly." He said the two co-convenors were responsible for making key decisions and directing the movement's activities, even though he appeared to be leading it from the outside. He said: "My job was just to follow Ashu and Saurav's orders. Outside it might seem like I was the leader, but I wasn't the leader, man. It was Saurav and Ashu. Those who would just tell me, 'You have to go here tomorrow, you have to do this tomorrow, you have to do that,' and I would just quietly say, 'Okay, I'll do it.'" Dipke also acknowledged that he considered the two better equipped to make decisions on behalf of the movement. "Because I know that the abilities they have, the decision-making skills they have are better than mine. That is who they are," Dipke said. The CJP founder became emotional while speaking about his relationship with the two leaders, describing them as family rather than merely colleagues in the movement. He said their continued imprisonment had been difficult for him to deal with. "I am getting emotional right now because Saurav is my brother. Ashu is my brother, they are my family," Dipke said, adding that he cared for them "more than anything else". He also recalled how the three maintained a separate WhatsApp group where they shared memes. Dipke said he continued to open the group despite Ranka and Das being in jail, as it gave him a sense of their presence. "Even now, it's like they are in that group," he said. According to Dipke, the families of the two jailed leaders have also become an important source of support for him during this period. Ranka and Das remain in judicial custody in connection with an incident at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 13. The two were allegedly involved in an attempt to unfurl the national flag after scaling a locked gate and are accused of violating a peace bond they had signed on October 10. They were among CJP members who allegedly crossed police barricades and entered the protest site, which had been denotified. The two leaders also raised slogans calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. In the video, Dipke also rejected comparisons between the CJP's campaign and the unrest in France. He argued that Ranka and Das had opted for peaceful resistance despite being imprisoned. Thousands of people, including school students, have taken part in demonstrations across France over the condition of the country's schools, with trade unions supporting the protests. The demonstrations have also witnessed incidents of violence and arson in cities such as Paris, Marseille and Limoges.