Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke met with former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi on Saturday. The meeting, which took place ahead of the INDIA bloc’s scheduled protest at Ramlila Maidan, served as a platform for the youth leader to formally acknowledge the support Banerjee extended to his organization during its recent activism.
Dipke highlighted that his visit was primarily intended to thank the Trinamool Congress chief for her consistent backing, particularly during the group’s inaugural protest at Jantar Mantar concerning the NEET paper leak controversy. He also expressed appreciation for her stance when other CJP leaders, namely Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by the Delhi Police earlier this month. At that time, Banerjee had publicly condemned the detention, characterizing the police action as the behavior of a regime intolerant of dissenting voices.
Addressing the upcoming political demonstration, Dipke confirmed that the Cockroach Janta Party supports the cause being championed by the INDIA bloc at Ramlila Maidan. He noted that the group stands in solidarity with the broader effort to seek accountability from the Election Commission and address concerns regarding alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. However, he emphasized that the CJP would not formally join the opposition coalition.
“We support the protest tomorrow, we stand in solidarity, but the Cockroach Janta Party is an independent organisation; it is a neutral platform, and we want to keep it that way,” Dipke stated. He reiterated that his group is committed to maintaining its autonomy and is prepared to support any entity that organizes campaigns against alleged electoral irregularities or what he termed as "vote theft."
For her part, Mamata Banerjee praised the CJP and its members for their role in mobilizing young people against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, she referred to Dipke and his fellow activists as the "pioneers and the founders" of the movement. She added that she had invited the group to visit West Bengal to organize further programs, leaving the specific details of any such future events to the discretion of the activists.
The INDIA bloc rally, scheduled for Sunday at Ramlila Maidan, is expected to serve as a significant platform for the opposition to challenge the Election Commission on various administrative processes. While the CJP's refusal to align formally with the bloc suggests a desire to remain outside the traditional political mainstream, its vocal support for the rally's objectives highlights a shared focus between the youth group and the established opposition parties on electoral accountability.
As the capital prepares for the rally, the meeting between Banerjee and Dipke underscores the ongoing dialogue between student-led organizations and major political figures in the country. The CJP continues to frame itself as a neutral, independent platform, even as it aligns with specific political agendas on issues such as electoral transparency and civil liberties.
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