Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday announced an indefinite hunger strike, hours after the Delhi Police "forcefully took away" activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site in Jantar Mantar.
"Abhijeet Dipke sits on an indefinite hunger strike. The ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on 20 July will proceed as planned," the CJP said in a post on X.
In a separate post from his account, Abhijeet said, "I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now".
Dipke was later targeted with an ink-like liquid attack by an unidentified woman.
The development comes after the Delhi Police on Saturday morning cracked down on the protesters at Jantar Mantar and shifted Sonam Wangchuk to the Safdarjung Hospital.
In a statement, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted for "essential medical care" following expert medical advice and in compliance with the high court's orders.
The police also appealed to the protesters to end their agitation, saying they should peacefully vacate the protest site at the earliest.
Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown.
"I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police," Dipke said in a post on X.
Speaking to ANI, Dipke claimed that police personnel arrived at the protest site early in the morning and removed Wangchuk by force.
"At 7 am, when I stepped out to freshen up, police goons arrived here. They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuse at him. A 60-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn't eaten a thing was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police.
"We have no idea where they have taken him. When I received the news and was on my way to Jantar Mantar from my friend's house, the police assaulted me as well...These aren't police officers; they are RSS goons. I had returned to my country from abroad; am I a criminal? They are goons--not police, but RSS goons," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janata Party Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das also claimed that police had detained Dipke and were removing Wangchuk from the protest site.
"The Delhi Police has stopped Abhijeet Dipke where he was staying. People are telling me that Sonam Wangchuk is being picked up from the protest site. Students are being lathicharged!," he wrote on X.
Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.
Dipke's announcement came amid continued protests at Jantar Mantar, with AISA activists Neha, Aameen and Manish also carrying on with their hunger strike after Wangchuk's hospitalisation.
After he began his fast at Jantar Mantar a woman hurled an ink-like liquid at Dipke while he was addressing a gathering.
The incident briefly disrupted the programme as supporters rushed towards the stage, triggering commotion.
The woman's identity and the motive behind the act were not immediately known. However, police sources said that she has been detained.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police said.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) struck a defiant note after the ink attack.
In a post on social media, the party said: "Kitne Bhi Hamle Karwale Ye Sarkar. Hum Babasaheb Ke Bache! Hum Nahi Darenge! Jai Bhim.!" (No matter how many attacks this government carries out, we are Babasaheb's children. We will not be afraid. Jai Bhim!)
Abhijeet Dipke's father on Saturday expressed concern over his son sitting on an indefinite fast and asked how the government could be so "merciless" to the students who are Indian nationals, and not Pakistanis.
Claiming that students are on indefinite hunger strikes in various parts of the country, Bhagwan Dipke asked whether the government is waiting for someone to die.
He accused the government of not listening to demands raised by students and threatened to join his son's indefinite fast.
Speaking to a Marathi news channel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Bhagwan Dipke expressed concern over his son's hunger strike.
"As a father, I am concerned about Abhijeet. I pray that God should give wisdom to Narendra Modi, who is sitting on the throne, so that better sense prevails and the government listens to the agitating students. In various parts of the country, students are on a hunger strike.
"Is the government waiting for someone to die? How many people should die for them? He has no mercy. If he is a human being, he should listen to the students," Bhagwan Dipke said while targeting the prime minister.
(With inputs from agencies)
