CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke calls Dharmendra Pradhan a ‘real terrorist’, vows to continue protest until he quits

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke launched another attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his recent remark calling the group seeking his resignation a 'B team of terrorists'.

Dipke, who cotinued his protest at Jantar Mantar for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, instead said Dharmendra Pradhan is the real terrorist as 17 young, innocent lives (NEET aspirants) were lost because of him.

"Dharmendra Pradhan is the real terrorist. 17 young, innocent lives were lost because of this Education Minister. A Prime Minister who claims he stopped a war cannot stop a paper leak — and cannot even take the resignation of his own Education Minister.” Dipke told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.

“The Education Minister is calling us terrorists. Are people who are demanding justice and accountability — terrorists? We and our parents pay taxes to this government. This government runs on public votes and public money. Today this same government calls us terrorists. Do they even have a dime of shame?,” said Dipke who, earlier in the day, appeared before a committee of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) regarding the withholding of the group's X account.

The MeitY had earlier asked Dipke to appear in person at its headquarters on Wednesday for a hearing on the government's blocking of the CJP's account.

“Farmers — terrorists. Doctors — terrorists. Youth — terrorists. Then who is Indian? The Prime Minister should announce himself that the youth of this country are terrorists,” Dipke said.

‘B-Team of terrorists'

Pradhan sparked a massive political controversy by branding the CJP—a group protesting the NEET exam leaks at Jantar Mantar—as a ‘B-Team of terrorists.’ Pradhan, in an interview with a TV channel. dismissed the CJP protesters, claiming they are individuals rejected in a democracy who returned in disguise.

Dipke strongly condemned the remark and demanded an apology and alleged that Pradhan has the "blood of 17 students" on his hands due to stress and suicides linked to the examination crisis.

The comment drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge demanded Pradhan's immediate resignation over the statement and his handling of the NEET paper leak.

Kharge hits out at Pradhan

Kharge on Wednesday hit out at Pradhan for his "terrorist" remark against protesting students, asserting that Pradhan will have to resign.

"Ninety paper leaks have occurred, the futures of millions of students have been ruined, 20 children have taken their own lives due to the NEET paper leak, families have been devastated…," Kharge said.

He said the Education Minister of the Modi government, Dharmendra Pradhan, is clinging to his chair, and while giving interviews, he is calling the "students' echo" as that of "terrorists".

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continued its sit-in protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for the fifth consecutive day on Wedneday. On the fourth day of its protect, the CJP protesters held a "diaper donation drive" as part of their campaign seeking Pradhan's the resignation over alleged NEET-UG paper leak and examination irregularities.

CJP has maintained that the protest will continue until Pradhan resigns. The sit-in, which began on Saturday, has seen participation from students, aspirants and members of several student organisations.

Late on Monday night, the group alleged that police attempted to reduce the protest area by moving barricades and "squeezing the protest site into a smaller area".

The CJP has been demanding accountability over alleged paper leaks and examination irregularities, including the NEET controversy, and has maintained that the protest will continue until Pradhan resigns.

Some say it's sponsored by deep state: Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said while the CJP protest was an important vehicle for sending a message of frustration on the part of the youth, ultimately established political parties have to take the issue raised by them forward.

In an interview with PTI Videos, the Congress general secretary also asserted that democracies cannot be dependent only on movements and that they are ultimately anchored in political parties.

“Some people say it is sponsored by the deep state, some people say it is a reflection of the frustration of youth. There is no way to prove (either) but the fact is - it caught the social media space and it got a lot of headlines, but it is not a political party,” Ramesh said.

(With agency inputs)