New Delhi: Declaring that their movement has now grown “bigger than one party”, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) Wednesday endorsed the Opposition demand for accountability. A day after a Congress sit-in protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence, the CJP said it would welcome support from anyone seeking answers from the government.
CJP core member Ratna Singh said any political party demanding accountability for police violence and the education crisis was strengthening, not hijacking, the movement.
“I think the Congress has been demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation for a long time. What happened yesterday was in response to the way Delhi Police attacked protesters. They demanded accountability from the government, and that is a good thing,” she told ThePrint.
Her remarks came a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Congress of attempting to undermine the student-led agitation by staging its own protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence. Alleging that Rahul Gandhi’s demonstration overshadowed the movement, AAP leaders claimed the Congress was trying to derive political mileage from the ongoing protests, and that the BJP and Congress were working in tandem.
The Congress had initially been wary of backing the movement. Sources within the party told ThePrint that it was focused on its own campaign, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, while CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had previously criticised Rahul Gandhi. However, following the intervention of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the party extended support to Sonam Wangchuk’s three-week-long hunger strike. Notably, no Congress leaders participated in Monday’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.
Dismissing suggestions that the movement was becoming politicised, Ratna Singh said the CJP was unconcerned with political parties attacking one another and would support anyone raising the protesters’ core demands.
“Politics is outside the CJP movement. Whatever political parties are doing, they are doing in their individual capacity. We support anything that is in favour of the movement and seeks accountability,” she said.
She added that the agitation had expanded beyond the CJP and was now being driven by a broader demand for answers from the government and Pradhan’s dismissal.
“This movement has become bigger than one party. It is no longer limited to the CJP. Everyone at Jantar Mantar wants answers from the government. Everyone wants accountability,” she said.
Ratna Singh further said that Members of Parliament (MPs) from different political parties had been visiting the protest site and appealed for support cutting across political lines. “MPs are coming and meeting us. We are calling upon everyone to come. Whoever stands with the movement is welcome.”
She also said that the agitation had spread beyond the Capital, with demonstrations now taking place in several states. “There are protests happening in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and across the country. This has become a nationwide movement.”
Sources in the CJP said it is set to announce three fresh demands following the police action during Monday’s march. Along with continuing to seek Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and compensation for affected families, the group will now demand immunity for protesters facing legal action, action against Delhi Police personnel over the alleged use of force, and the return of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to the movement.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has maintained that the movement is non-political and has repeatedly said that despite his past association with the AAP, he no longer has any connection with it. At the same time, he has appealed to all opposition parties to support the protest.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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How ironic given that Jharkhand itself is grappling with allegations of fraud in JPSC examinations. Guess who are in power in Jharkhand ! As soon as Parliament session arrives, all sorts of activism starts sprouting. Such a lazy attempt in a democracy to seeks answers. It is as if people have given Parliamentarians the luxury to loot and spend taxpayer money on getting sessions washed without business ! Streets after making the noise should listen to what their elected representatives are debating inside Parliament. Period.