‘Don’t fall into the trap’: Abhijeet Dipke alleges govt pitting CJP against Oppn in anti-Gyanesh Kumar protests

Drawing a comparison with the INDIA bloc's protest on Monday, Dipke pointed out that the opposition demonstration did not face the kind of crackdown witnessed during the CJP protest on October 10.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke has alleged that the Union government was creating suspicion and mistrust among groups protesting against the Election Commission of India by handling demonstrations differently. Dipke urged people not to fall for conspiracy theories and to remain united in their opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a statement on X, Dipke said that when the CJP was granted permission to protest, several people suggested that the group had been planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Drawing a comparison with the INDIA bloc's protest on Monday, Dipke pointed out that the opposition demonstration did not face the kind of crackdown witnessed during the CJP protest on October 10. “This is exactly how the govt plays us against each other,” he said, alleging that the differential treatment of protests was creating distrust among people fighting for the same cause.

On 13 October, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with Congress and other Opposition leaders, led a march towards the Supreme Court. The march attended by thousands returned from Mandi House at around 6 PM.

The portest march was against the SIR exercise and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged irregularities in the voters' roll revision.

The protests followed a recent report published by the Indian Express which alleged that Kumar had taken several decision regarding the SIR unilaterally, despite certain objections raised by two Election Commissioners.

Dipke cautioned that the authorities could permit one protest while cracking down on another, only to reverse the approach later. He argued that such differences could fuel conspiracy theories and shift attention away from the issues being raised by protesters.

“My only request to everyone is to see through these tactics,” he said.

In contrast to INDIA bloc's march on 13 October, an unprecedented security clampdown and the detention of over 7,000 protesters, including t Dipke, four former chief ministers and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, helped the government thwart a planned mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on 10 October to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, wore a deserted look throughout the day, with the deployment of over 30,000 security personnel and waves of barricades in Lutyens' Delhi to keep the protesters away from the area.

“Don’t let conspiracy theories divide us. Don’t fall into the trap of fighting among ourselves when we should be standing together,” Dipke said.

Reiterating his position, he said the focus should remain on Gyanesh Kumar and those he accused of protecting the CEC.

“Don’t let conspiracy theories divide us. Don’t fall into the trap of fighting among ourselves when we should be standing together,” Dipke said.

“The fight is against Gyanesh Kumar and those protecting him. Don’t lose sight of that,” he said.

(With agency inputs)

About the Author

Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.