Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has shared an emotional account of leaving home to join protests against the Election Commission (EC), saying his mother broke down because she feared for his safety.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Dipke said his family’s reaction reflected the concerns of parents whose children have chosen to protest and speak out over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Dipke travelled to Bengaluru to attend a People’s Tribunal on SIR and meet residents who allegedly lost their names from voter lists. He is also scheduled to hold a ‘chappal protest’ at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday morning. On October 10, he plans to stage a protest in Delhi and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Recalling his departure, Dipke said his mother knew he would travel from Bengaluru to Delhi and could not hide her fear.
“As I left home today, Mom cried as if I was heading to a war zone,” Dipke said. He added that he tried to reassure her that everything would be fine, although he was himself unsure about what the coming days might bring.
Dipke said he was tired of seeing fear in his mother’s eyes and of repeatedly assuring her when he could not predict what would happen next. He also said his father remained silent when he left, seemingly wishing that the family could return to the way life was several months ago.
He described the worried phone calls and constant messages from family members asking where he was as another reminder of their anxiety.
Addressing others participating in the protests, Dipke said they were not alone and that the movement was a collective effort. He said the larger goal should be to create an India where young people can raise their voices without their parents fearing for their safety.
Dipke also appealed to parents not to prevent their children from participating in protests. He acknowledged their concerns, saying he understood where the fear came from and recognised the difficulties families were facing.
The CJP has previously organised protests over the EC and electoral roll revision. Dipke’s latest remarks come ahead of another planned protest in Delhi on October 10, keeping the issue of electoral roll revision and the Election Commission at the centre of his campaign.
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