Mamata Banerjee praises CJP activists ahead of INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan

New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday met Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Delhi and thanked her for supporting the outfit’s youth-led protests, while expressing solidarity with the INDIA bloc rally over the “vote chori” charge.

He, however, said that the CJP would retain its independent identity and would not join Sunday’s protest by the opposition parties.

Dipke said he had called on Banerjee to express gratitude for her support for the outfit’s first protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue and her backing when its leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were arrested by the Delhi Police.

“I just came to say thank you to Didi because of the way she supported our first Jantar Mantar movement. She was always so strongly with the youth movement. When Saurav and Ashutosh were arrested by the Delhi Police, even then Didi stood with us very firmly,” he said.

Asked whether the CJP would be present at Sunday’s rally at Ramlila Maidan, Dipke said the outfit supported the protest but would continue to function independently.

“We support the protest tomorrow, we stand in solidarity, but the Cockroach Janta Party is an independent organisation; it is a neutral platform, and we want to keep it that way,” he said.

He said the issue went beyond any one organisation and that the CJP would support all groups fighting against alleged vote theft.

“Anybody who will fight against this vote theft, we will support all organisations,” he said.

Banerjee, who is in Delhi and will attend Sunday’s rally, praised Dipke and the young activists for their role in the protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission.

“They have extended their full support for tomorrow’s rally, and we have extended all support to them as well. They are the pioneers and the founders of this movement. That we must remember,” she told reporters.

Banerjee said she was happy to meet the activists and acknowledged their efforts in sustaining the protests despite difficulties.

She also invited Dipke and the others to West Bengal to organise programmes there. Asked whether they would hold an event in Kolkata, she said the decision rested with them.

“That they will decide. It is their choice,” she said.

Dipke’s meeting with Banerjee came a day before the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan, where opposition parties are set to raise the issue of alleged electoral irregularities and demand accountability from the Election Commission.