‘I resign as MP CM’: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's satirical letter after Balaghat heckling

Posting a satirical letter on X on Sunday, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) Abhijeet Dipke lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Madhya Pradesh government over the death of 30 tribal children in the past few months.

"I hereby resign as the Chief Minister of MP with immediate effect. I thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of MP, an opportunity in which I have clearly failed," Dipke wrote on social media.

What did Abhijeet Dipke write, posing as MP CM?

Abhijeet Dipke, in the name of the “Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister”, posted a letter addressing the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. Mocking the state government, he wrote, "I hereby tender my resignation from the office of the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh."

"My conscience does not allow me to continue occupying this chair after the deaths of more than 30 Tribal children in Balaghat. As Chief Minister, I accept responsibility for failing to provide them with the timely medical care and support they needed. Many of these lives could possibly have been saved, and I cannot escape responsibility for that failure," the letter read.

He took potshots at the government's decision to raise the amount of compensation from ₹2 lakh to ₹4 lakh, given to the family of tribal children who died, allegedly due to Monsoon-related infectious diseases amid concerns of overcrowded hospitals, contaminated drinking water, and lack of nutrition in the district.

Dipke's letter read, "What is equally shameful is our insensitivity after their deaths. We initially announced compensation of merely 2 lakh per child, increasing it to 4 lakh only after the Tribal community protested."

"It forces me to ask an uncomfortable question: would we have considered 4 lakh adequate had these been the children of Ministers or MLAs? Our response reflects how little value we have placed on the lives of Tribal children," he asked.

Saying that the deaths of innocent children demand accountability at the highest level, Dipke alleged, "Despite the gravity of this tragedy, we have also failed to hold health officials accountable."

He further pointed, "Our failures go beyond healthcare. While our Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, aka Vishwaguru, has declared the success of providing tap water to households under the Har Ghar Nal Yojna, Tribal families in parts of Balaghat still depend on river water for drinking, putting their health at risk."

"The situation in education is equally disturbing. In several villages, schools are in conditions worse than animal shelters. In one Balaghat village, around 75 children, from Anganwadi to Class 5, study in a single classroom. Despite repeated requests from the local Tribal community, we have failed to provide them with a proper school building," Dipke added.

"Today, I hang my head in shame that even after nearly 21 years of BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, we have not been able to guarantee many Tribal families the basic dignity of safe drinking water, adequate healthcare and quality education," the letter stated.

It pointed to data to "expose the failures of my [Madhya Pradesh] government towards Tribal communities."

He said, "55,795 tribal households in Madhya Pradesh remain without electricity, according to our own government's data. 32% of India's crimes against Scheduled Tribes were recorded in Madhya Pradesh, according to NCRB data. More than 5.41 lakh children (8.60%) in the state were classified as underweight. Over 1.36 lakh children were registered as malnourished, according to data tabled by our government in the Vidhan Sabha, with tribal communities among those severely affected."

Dipke, who signed the letter as the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, said, "I have failed the Tribals of not just Balaghat but the entire state, and after the loss of so many innocent children, I do not believe I have the moral right to continue in this office."

"I therefore tender my resignation as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh with immediate effect. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, aka Vishwaguru, for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh," Dipke wrote.

Balaghat child deaths

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday visited tribal villages in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district to meet families who recently lost their children to infectious diseases and demanded accountability from the administration.

Accompanied by local youth, Dipke travelled to Adori, Korka, and Bondari villages to gather details on local healthcare facilities and the circumstances surrounding the child deaths.

Dipke's visit came days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the state government over the deaths of more than 30 children, allegedly due to infectious diseases, after a PIL alleged overcrowded hospitals, contaminated drinking water, and lack of nutrition in the district, news agency PTI reported.

The PIL alleged that children were not receiving adequate treatment and that around 400 children were being treated at a hospital with a capacity of 50 beds. It also claimed that yellow-coloured water was coming from handpumps in the affected areas and that children and women had not received nutritious food on time for several months.

A report prepared by the petitioner alleged widespread filth in the area and claimed that these conditions were causing infections and that children continued to die from diseases.

Group of 'influencers' heckles Dipke

Abhijeet Dipke was reportedly heckled by a group of people appearing to be social media influencers during his visit to Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district. The people asked Dipke if he had come to do "politics" over the deaths of several tribal children in the region due to infectious diseases.

A viral video on social media showed Dipke apologising for visiting the area late.

A viral video showed a woman 'influencer' sticking a mic in Dipke's face as he was driving away in a car, and asking him if he had come there to "do politics on corpses" and why he was visiting the area so late.

Dipke was heard saying he apologised for visiting the area late.

The woman was also heard saying, “A good road has been constructed here. Can't you see it?”

As the situation escalated, CJP workers accompanying Dipke put him in another car and took him away.

While the CJP founder left, the woman was heard saying "he ran away, he ran away."

Local journalists said they were surprised to see this group of social media influencers from outside turning up in the remote village, and wondered if they had been sent by someone to disrupt the CJP founder's visit.