CJP's Saurav Das invites some Opposition leaders to Diwali party; Dipke, Ranka likely to attend too

In what could be the first meeting between CJP leaders and a section of the Opposition, a few Opposition leaders, including TMC's Derek O'Brien and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, have been invited to an exclusive Diwali party on Saturday hosted by CJP leader Saurav Das.

Senior CJP leaders, including Abhijeet Dipke and Ashutosh Ranka, are also expected to attend the gathering. Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh and a few other AAP leaders are likely to join the celebrations as well.

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A senior Left leader told HT, “Some of us have been invited to the party. Of course, there would be serious political discussions about the current situation.”

The meeting assumes significance amid perceptions that a section of the Opposition is increasingly warming up to the CJP. Over the past few weeks, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has sent signals to the CJP leadership, which has also responded to his posts on social media.

The change has been driven by a series of public exchanges, beginning with Gandhi’s assertion that there were no parallel protests against the CEC, followed by his condemnation of the arrest of CJP activists and the group’s subsequent endorsement of the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally.

Gandhi made his support more explicit, condemning the arrest of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka following their attempt to protest at Jantar Mantar.

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“Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice,” he wrote on X.

“Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke responded with a public thank-you, acknowledging Gandhi’s intervention on behalf of the arrested activists. The exchange was significant because the Congress leader had, until then, largely avoided publicly associating himself with the outfit.

On October 28, Dipke backed the Ramlila maidan rally and said, “The Cockroach Janta Party extends its support to the INDIA Bloc’s November 1 rally. Nation above all!”