National/Alive News: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke became emotional during an Instagram Live session on Tuesday while speaking about party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who are in judicial custody in connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case. Dipke said the two activists would miss the festive season with their families but would not give up their commitment to peace and non-violence.
Das and Ranka were initially sent to five days of custody, which ended on Sunday. Their custody was extended by two days on Monday.
‘They Are My Family’
In a video message posted on X, Dipke said he was not ashamed of showing his emotions despite the possibility of being trolled online. He described Das and Ranka as family members and urged supporters to remember them while celebrating festivals with their own families.
Dipke credited the two co-convenors with leading the movement and said he had followed their guidance. He also recalled how Das had faced online criticism during the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, including comments about his gentle nature and drinking cold coffee during the demonstration.
Rejects Comparison With France Unrest
Dipke rejected comparisons between the CJP movement and violent unrest in France, as well as political upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal. He said the Indian protesters had chosen compassion and non-violence rather than violence.
He maintained that Das and Ranka had faced imprisonment peacefully and continued to stand by their beliefs. Dipke also criticised those who compared the protests in India with violent incidents in other countries, saying the situations were different.
Says Movement Follows Gandhi’s Ideals
Dipke linked the activists’ approach to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha, saying peaceful resistance could awaken the conscience of the nation. He said the two co-convenors were enduring their time in jail without abandoning their commitment to non-violence.
He also vowed to continue following Gandhi’s ideals and said imprisonment would not weaken the movement. Dipke expressed confidence that Das and Ranka would emerge from jail with the same determination and continue advocating peace, non-violence and their political cause.
