Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has taken a humorous swipe at social media speculation regarding internal divisions within his organisation.
Dipke posted a lighthearted photograph on Instagram featuring co-leaders Saurav Dass and Ashutosh Ranka, playfully captioning the image “internal rift”.
Mocking Rumours Following Tihar Jail Release
The tongue-in-cheek post comes shortly after Dass and Ranka were released on bail from Tihar Jail on 22 October. The pair were held in judicial custody following a 13 October protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where authorities accused them of entering a denotified protest site and violating peace bonds.
A special executive magistrate court granted their release after both leaders provided personal and surety bonds of £500 (approx. ₹50,000) each, alongside formal written undertakings to preserve the peace. Under the agreement, the CJP leaders promised not to call for demonstrations at Jantar Mantar until the location is legally re-notified, assuring that future actions will remain strictly within the constitutional framework.
The photograph shows Ranka and Dass jokingly raising their fists above Dipke’s head. In an accompanying video clip shared with members, Dipke quipped:
”After this, no one will walk alone in the garden!”
To which fellow CJP leaders deadpanned:
”Okay Shaktiman.”
Clarifying Leadership Roles and Movement Family
The social media posts follow public questions about the group’s unity after the CJP announced a temporary hiatus from street protests until Diwali, allowing members to spend time with their families.
Addressing prior online criticism after he publicly credited Ranka and Dass as the primary decision-makers behind the CJP movement, Dipke firmly denied claims that he was attempting to distance himself or shift responsibility onto his colleagues.
”If someone is better than me, then I don’t have even a little insecurity in accepting it, not even a little shame,” Dipke stated, describing Ranka and Dass as his brothers. “We operate like a family rather than being controlled by one individual.”
Dipke also defended his co-leaders against online comparisons to violent overseas unrest, emphasizing that both Ranka and Dass had consistently chosen peaceful resistance despite facing imprisonment.
