- Abhijeet Dipke thanked CJP supporters and critics after the protest's success
- His message came after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the CJP ended its stir
- Dipke said it is just the beginning and there is a long way ahead for the CJP
It's a new dawn for Abhijeet Dipke after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s massive debut. With Dharmendra Pradhan resigning as the education minister over the NEET paper leak and the government accepting their other demands, it's now time for rest. And the 30-year-old face for a nationwide movement is making the most of it.
"I could go to sleep and wake up in my bedroom without thinking about what to do next or what will happen till evening."
Dipke sounded relaxed. "There is no panic," he recounted in a video message on his X handle this morning, summing up the 37 days of the protest as "really, really difficult."
Watch the video here:
He also reminded his social media followers that this is "just the beginning." "The Cockroach Janata Party has a long way to go."
Read: Will They Join Full-Time Politics? What CJP Leaders Told NDTV
Dipke founded the CJP in May as a satirical response to a remark by the Chief Justice of India but soon escalated into a movement that united the country's Gen Z power over the next 70-odd days.
Soon, thousands of 'cockroaches', as the supporters of the CJP referred to themselves, took over the heart of the capital. Chants of 'inquilab' rent the air at Jantar Mantar, an iconic protest site overlooking India's power corridor.
The students and young protesters held Pradhan responsible for the NEET paper leak and the suicide of aspirants. They pressed for his resignation. Delays drew more supporters by the minute.
Pradhan resigned yesterday, the government promised no action against the protesters, and the CJP withdrew its protest.
Read: CJP Ends Protest As Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns, More Demands Met
But this wasn't easy, recalled Dipke in his message, thanking those who supported his CJP despite many casting doubts. Down with typhoid and running a temperature, he apologised for not being able to thank everyone at Jantar Mantar yesterday.
"All the people who were waiting for Jantar Mantar for 37 days, I want to thank each and every one of you. And I want to tell you that I really, really, really appreciate what you did for this country," he said in the video.
He also thanked those who criticised. For criticism helped him improve through what he described as legitimate questions. "I think that's why we were able to deliver as well," he added.
