‘Rejected job offers in US’: CJP's Abhijeet Dipke on India return, reason for protest

THe roach Janta company (CJP) founding father Abhijeet Dipke on mon said that he had received multiple employ offers in the US in recent weeks but had decided against accepting them because he loves his country and wants to do something for it.In a video message posted on X, Dipke shared that he will be coming back to India on June 6 to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar seeking education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid paper leaks and the CBSE result system row.“I have also received many job offers in the past few days. But I am not going to take it as I have decided to come back to India because I love my country and I really want to do something for my country. Whatever we are today, it is all because of what this country has given us," he said."And now it is our turn to do something for our country. Because if we don't do anything today, who will? How long will we wait for someone else to come, raise their voice and save us? So all the peaceful and cockroaches who believe in the constitution, let's all come together to save the future of millions of students,” he added.Also Read: 'Meet me at the airport': Cockroach Janta Party founder's step-by-step plan for protest in DelhiWho is Abhijeet Dipke?A public relations professional and political strategist, the 30-year-old Dipke is the founder of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a social media movement that has rapidly gained traction among young Indians online.He completed his journalism degree in Pune before moving to Boston University in the United States for his master's degree, from where he recently graduated with a two-year Master's in Public Relations.Earlier, Dipke worked as a social media intern with India's opposition Aam Aadmi Party. Between 2020 and 2023, he was involved in the party’s social media and election campaign operations.Dipke also contributed to meme-driven digital campaigns for the Aam Aadmi Party during the 2020 Delhi assembly elections, when the party led by Arvind Kejriwal secured a major victory.Also Read: Setback for Cockroach Janta Party, Delhi HC refuses to immediately restore X account as content 'slightly offensive''Sleepless nights creating content'Speaking to news agency Reuters over the phone, Dipke said he has spent sleepless nights creating content on social media and giving media interviews. He also claimed that the Indian government has declared him a “national security threat”.“They are trying to defame me. But democratically, within our constitutional rights, we will do what needs to be done,” he told Reuters.The CJP was founded following controversy over remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who had used the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while referring to fake degree-holders.Dipke further said that he has worked on recovering his X account, which was hacked soon after the formation of the party. Speaking about the threats he has received, he added that he has taken steps to ensure the safety of his family in both countries.He told Reuters that the Maharashtra Police has assured him that his family’s safety will be ensured. Dipke added that his parents are also not keen on him joining politics now that he has become famous.Speaking to PTI, his mother Anita Dipke, who lives in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said they do not want their son to enter politics. She added that she wants him to stay away from politics and focus on building a career, and that she would not support him in this.His parents also worry that he could be arrested as soon as he lands in India. Bhagwan Dipke, his father, said the sudden rise of the Cockroach Janta Party on social media has made him deeply anxious.“I'm worried because he is now famous. And such individuals get arrested. I have not slept for the past two nights worrying about what might happen to him. I hate politics and have no interest in it.”'Started this as a joke'Speaking to Reuters, Dipke said that the youth of India know that his movement was started as a joke. However, he added that judging by the support he has received, it appears that many people genuinely want him to take action."They know I started this as a joke, as satire. But the country’s Gen Z wants me to actually do something. They don’t want this to be just another meme."Dipke said his followers want him to go beyond memes, and that he is discussing ways to turn the campaign into a credible movement. However, no decision has yet been made on whether it will become a political party.Countering claims that most of his followers are from Pakistan, Dipke had earlier shared a screen recording of his follower analytics, which showed that about 95% of the nearly 23 million followers of the Instagram account are based in India, followed by countries such as the United States, home to large overseas Indian communities. “More than two-thirds of these followers are Gen Z,” he said.