JAIPUR: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was slapped and manhandled at a protest meet in Jaipur on Monday.
Dipke had called for a peaceful protest at Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak to oppose paper leaks and unemployment, and demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
But while supporters were carrying him on their shoulders, the shocking incident erupted as some miscreants slapped Dipke several times, and tried to pull him down to show their opposition to the CJP movement.
Dipke was allegedly slapped by a man even before he could address protesters in Jaipur.
The slapping incident triggered chaos, and a veritable physical clash erupted for some time as Dipke supporters turned to the man, leading to a scuffle and high tension at the venue.
While the confrontation was captured on camera and widely shared on social media, videos reveal that despite the commotion, Dipke tried to calm the crowd and urged people not to attack the individual who had hit him.
Despite Dipke’s efforts, many in the crowd were unwilling to back down and utter chaos prevailed at the protest venue. The footage that has surfaced online showed several people surrounding and attacking the culprit who had slapped Dipke.
In the middle of the commotion, Dipke tried to calm the crowd and urged people not to assault the individual.
The CJP Founder asserted, “I was beaten while I was entering. No matter how many attacks take place, we shouldn’t raise our hands. Scared people resort to violence. Carry out not one but a hundred attacks, but we won’t be silenced.”
The demonstration witnessed participation from students, unemployed youth and families affected by examination-related controversies from across Rajasthan. According to officials, permission had been granted for around 800 participants, but a much larger crowd gathered at the site.
Eye-witnesses say tensions had been brewing even before Dipke's arrival. A group of people allegedly reached the venue and raised slogans against the CJP. Police later removed them from the area. However, as Dipke arrived at the protest site, a fresh commotion broke out near the entrance gate, leading to scuffles involving protesters, media personnel and a few unidentified individuals.
Amid the chaos, Dipke was allegedly attacked, but CJP supporters caught hold of all of the alleged attackers, assaulted them and handed them over to the police. Protesters allege that had they not intervened, the accused would have been allowed to leave, a claim that drew criticism from party leaders.
The incident triggered sharp reactions from party leaders, who accused the administration of failing to provide adequate security. CJP state spokesperson Abhishek Jain Bittu questioned the role of the administration and police.
"The manner in which the attack took place raises serious concerns. Instead of preventing anti-social elements from creating disruption, the administration allowed the situation to escalate. Action should be taken against those responsible for the security lapse," he said.
Responding to the controversy, DCP Jaipur South Rajarshi Raj revealed that five people had been arrested in connection with the disturbances. "Three of them were involved in the assault on Dipke, while another allegedly assaulted a media person. One more individual has been detained and is being identified. Legal action will be taken against those responsible," he said.
Addressing supporters after the incident, Dipke said the attack would not deter him from speaking on issues affecting students and unemployed youth. "I was assaulted while entering the venue. No matter how many attacks are carried out against me, I will not resort to violence. I will continue to raise my voice," he said.
During his speech, Dipke also criticised the government's handling of examination-related controversies, including the NEET paper leak issue. Referring to the school building collapse in Jhalawar last year, he questioned the priorities of those in power and accused the government of failing to address student concerns.
The protest also saw emotional participation from families who claimed to have been affected by failures in the education system. Among them was the family of Pradeep Meghwal, a student from Sikar who allegedly died by suicide following mental distress linked to the NEET paper leak controversy. Family members brought his ashes to the protest and said they wanted to ensure that no other student suffered a similar fate
