The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will operate as a pressure group for now, founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Wednesday, as the organisation's core team met in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to discuss issues including declining public trust in institutions, ethanol-blended fuel and unemployment.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Dipke said India currently needed a pressure group rather than a political party. “For now, CJP will be a pressure group, as what India needs now is a pressure group,” he said.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said activist Sonam Wangchuk would continue to serve as the movement’s mentor and that the group would seek his advice on key issues.
Das said the organisation would demand the withdrawal of FIRs registered against students who participated in recent CJP-led protests over alleged NEET paper leaks and examination irregularities. He said discussions were underway with government representatives on the matter.
The CJP spokesperson also said the organisation was working to provide legal and medical assistance to protesters injured during student agitations held across the country.
The core team meeting is expected to deliberate on the erosion of public trust in institutions such as the media and judiciary, along with issues like ethanol-blended fuel and rising unemployment.
Dipke returned to India from the US in June to lead a campaign against alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. The agitation saw young protesters from different parts of the country gathering in Delhi, demanding reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The movement gained traction among Gen Z groups across the country and later spread to several cities. However, some protests turned violent, with police action reported in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bihar, where cases were registered against several student protesters.
(With inputs from PTI)