“WE MUST NOT BECOME WHAT WE OPPOSE”: DIPKE REJECTS COMPARISONS BETWEEN CJP AND FRANCE’S STREET UNREST

October 20, 2026

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 20: Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has rejected comparisons between his organisation’s activities and the unrest in France, arguing that opposition to a system must not lead people to reproduce the very conduct they condemn.

The remarks come amid debate over the CJP’s protests and its emergence as a political pressure group. The organisation has attracted attention through its use of the cockroach as a symbol and its campaigns targeting issues it considers failures of public accountability.

The comparison with France has arisen against the backdrop of demonstrations and violence linked to the European country’s cost-of-living crisis. The unrest has raised questions about public anger, political disillusionment and the methods adopted by movements seeking to challenge those in power.

Dipke’s response draws a distinction between challenging authority and embracing destructive behaviour. The principle expressed in his remarks is that a movement cannot credibly oppose injustice while adopting methods that undermine its own stated objectives.

The CJP has previously drawn public attention through demonstrations over examination-related controversies and demands for accountability from public institutions. Its activities have also included protests concerning the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls.

The organisation’s unusual name and cockroach imagery have helped it attract attention, while its political interventions have generated debate over whether unconventional protest tactics can bring greater public scrutiny to institutional grievances.

Dipke’s rejection of the comparison with France places emphasis on the means as well as the ends of political protest. It suggests that a movement’s credibility depends not only on the issues it raises but also on how it conducts itself while seeking change.

The wider debate highlights a recurring dilemma for protest movements: how to express anger, mobilise public support and challenge institutions without allowing confrontation to eclipse the original demands. For the CJP, the distinction between resistance and destructive imitation has become part of the discussion surrounding its public identity.