'You can call me Pakistani...I won't raise my hand': Dipke reacts after slap incident, says 'cowards resort to violence'

COckroach Janta company (CJP) father Abhijeet Dipke was assaulted on mon as he arrived at Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak to top a demo to protest exam paper leaks and unemployment.The protest in Jaipur is part of a series of public meetings that Dipke is addressing in various states before a larger one planned in Delhi on June 20.Two men lunged at Dipke as he was being carried into the protest venue by supporters, pulled his scarf and slapped him several times. Dipke’s supporters retaliated, beating the attackers before handing them over to the police. The two men were detained.‘Won’t be intimidated, will continue to raise voice’In his address, Dipke said the attack hadn’t deterred him. "I was assaulted while entering the protest site. No matter how many attacks take place, I will not raise my hand against anyone. Cowards resort to violence," he said.Turning to his critics, Dipke said, "You call me Pakistani, you call those gathered here Pakistani, and you even label journalists who ask questions as Pakistani. But we will not be intimidated by such tactics. We will continue to raise our voice for the youth."Also Read | Prakash Raj joins CJP Protest in BengaluruIn a video message posted on X later, Dipke stressed that the attack was a deliberate attempt to distract from the core issue and urged his supporters to stay focused. “Our only demand is that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign... For the injustice and the suicides of students," he said. "Even if you attack or slap us ten times, we will still keep saying that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. Do not get distracted.”Dipke returned to India from the United States to lead the agitation to demand Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation for the NEET paper leak but has since gone beyond the immediate testing scandal.At Jaipur, he said the prime minister would have to choose between the students and the minister. He also spoke about the roof collapse at a school in Jhalawar and a Rajasthan minister’s efforts to downplay the paper leak, and wondered why a country that claimed to have helped stop the Russia-Ukraine war could not stop paper leaks.CJP members question administration, condemn incidentActivists accused local authorities of failing to protect Dipke and standing by as the violence unfolded "The manner in which this attack took place raises serious questions about the role of the police and the government,” said CJP state spokesperson Abhishek Jain Bittu.CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the administration had given them a 3 pm slot for the protest, apparently to discourage people from gathering in the scorching heat. But the large turnout had sent a clear message to the government that they would not stop. The Cockroach Janata Party will continue to raise these demands and intensify its movement.In a separate post on X, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that the men responsible for the attack were connected to the ruling party. Condemning the incident, Das said violence and intimidation would not silence legitimate demands.“We are peace-loving citizens asserting our constitutional right to dissent and seek accountability," Das said. "If anything, they only lend greater force and urgency to the cause we are fighting for. The youth will prevail in this fight for government accountability… We should refocus on our clear goal—Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation! A protester, Neelam Kranti, said they requested the police personnel at the spot to intervene when the commotion began. “But they simply watched,” he said, asserting that this raised questions about the government’s intentions.Family of student who died by suicide brings ashes to protestMonday’s protest drew participation from students, unemployed youth, and families affected by examination-related controversies.Among them was the family of a Sikar resident who allegedly died by suicide following mental stress linked to the NEET paper leak issue. Family members brought his ashes to the protest and said they wanted to ensure that no other student faces a similar fate.The family of Amayra, a nine-year-old girl who died by suicide after jumping from a private school building in Jaipur last year, also joined the demonstration.Annu Sihag from Hanumangarh attended the protest with her three-year-old daughter. "I have come here because I do not want to remain silent when something wrong is happening. The voices of students must be heard, and Dharmendra Pradhan should resign," she said.Reported by Pulkit Bhardwaj