JAIPUR: What started as a funny online joke turned into a real-world fight on Monday. Abhijeet Dipke, the 30-year-old creator of the popular ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), was slapped multiple times during a peaceful youth protest at Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak.
The CJP started just a month ago on social media. It was created as a parody to mock rich leaders who compared poor, unemployed youth to “cockroaches.” Millions of young Indians joined the online group, using humor to talk about a serious problem: the lack of jobs.
On Monday, that online anger came to the streets. Hundreds of students gathered to peacefully protest against leaked exam papers and high unemployment. As the crowd cheered and carried Dipke on their shoulders, a few men suddenly rushed forward and struck him across the face.
A small fight broke out before the police quickly stepped in. Officers arrested five men for the attack. Later, one attacker claimed online that he did it out of “love for the nation,” while the students said it was a planned attack to scare them into silence.
Despite the attack, Dipke told his followers to stay calm and not fight back.
“Attacking someone shows you are afraid,” Dipke said. “I follow Gandhi. I will keep fighting with peace and love.”
The young leader promised that the CJP will keep protesting across the country, proving their demand for jobs is very real.
