'People will troll, but emotions are my strength': Abhijeet Dipke as CJP colleagues remain in judicial custody

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday expressed solidarity with his CJP colleagues Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, saying they could not be with their families during the festive season.

CJP co-convenors Das and Ranka are in judicial custody over the Jantar Mantar trespassing case. Their five-day custody, which ended on Sunday, was extended by two days again on Monday.

Dipke said that while some people might “troll” him, he was getting emotional because he “cares for” Das and Ranka and considers them as his family. “Some people will troll me for getting emotional. But my emotions are my strength. I do it because those two are my family. I care for them. This is the love I have for them,” he said during a live stream on Instagram.

“Be with your families for the festivals. But please remember Saurav and Ashu when you are with your families because they both can't be with their families,” Dipke added.

‘True strength lies in sacrifice’: Dipke says Das, Ranka ‘will come out smiling’

The CJP founder said that “true strength lies in sacrifice that Saurav and Ashu are making.” He added that he was emotional “because I care about them not because I'm afraid.”

Dipke said that when Das and Ranka are released, “the entire nation will salute them for coming out with a smile.” “They will come out of the jail with the same smile. They will come out walking on Mahatma Gandhi's path of non-violence, because that is what we believe in,” he further said.

'You won't be able to produce fear and hatred in them'

Launching criticism against the authorities, Dipke said they would “not be able to produce fear and hatred” in Das and Ranka. “You can't produce hate in them, hate is inside you,” he said.

The CJP founder asserted the need to “not let our compassion, kindness, and love reduce.” “The day this happens they will win - the people who are spreading hatred for so many years,” he said.

CJP's Das and Ranka had been produced before a newly-appointed special executive magistrate at the Mandir Marg police station on Monday, following which they were remanded to two more days of judicial custody. The two had initially been sent to judicial custody for five days on October 13 after they climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which was de-notified as a protest site.