Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, in a press conference on Friday, claimed that members of the party’s team could face arrest tonight based on ‘new inputs’ and urged supporters to continue the movement even if any such action takes place.
Dipke’s statement comes despite talks between Union ministers and the CJP delegation for crucial discussions at the Constitution Club of India.
"We have been informed that since tomorrow is Saturday, followed by Sunday, a much larger crowd is expected. That is why the government is trying to detain or arrest us tonight. If that happens, it will be another major mistake by the government. When they took Sonam Wangchuk away, the movement only grew stronger. When students were lathi-charged and injured, the protests intensified further. If we are also detained, the movement will spread even more across the country. If the government truly wants to resolve this movement, there is only one solution: the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan," Dipke said.
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Earlier, Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike, saying the decision was taken in the interest of students and to prevent legal action against protesters. After breaking his hunger strike, Sonam Wangchuk said that he would return to Ladakh. He also assured that before returning to Ladakh, he would hold talks with students and supporters associated with the movement.
“We are extremely happy and relieved that Sonam Sir has ended his hunger strike. He had been fasting for more than 26 days, and he took this decision for the sake of students. He did not want any cases to be filed against any student,” Dipke said.
While thanking Wangchuk for raising awareness around the issue, Dipke said the protest would continue, with the party maintaining its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
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CJP Calls For Nationwide Protest On Friday
The CJP on Thursday gave a nationwide call for peaceful protests on July 24 and urged people to hold demonstrations in every district as it rejected the government's offer for talks, insisting any dialogue should be held only at a neutral venue. It also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on action against paper leaks did not address the issue of accountability or its main demand of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak.