Cockroach Janta Party founder assaulted during Jaipur protest, six detained

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was assaulted during a protest in Jaipur on Monday, with videos showing him being slapped repeatedly by at least two individuals while participating in a demonstration over paper leaks, education issues, and unemployment.

The protest was held at Shaheed Smarak as part of a nationwide campaign announced by the organisation.

Earlier this month, the CJP had said it would organise demonstrations across the country unless Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over NEET and other examination paper leaks and systemic issues in the education sector.

Videos from the Jaipur protest show Dipke being carried on the shoulders of supporters when a man pulled him by a cloth around his neck. The man, along with another individual, then slapped and struck Dipke multiple times before being separated from him. The attackers were subsequently beaten by some of Dipke's supporters.

Responding to the incident, Dipke said the assault would not deter the movement from continuing its protests.

"Physical attacks are a sign of fear and cowardice. We will continue to raise our voices peacefully. I am a follower of Gandhi and Ambedkar, and I will keep fighting this battle with peace and love," he wrote on X, adding that Dharmendra Pradhan should resign.

Police said six people have been detained and are being questioned at Vidhayakpuri police station.

"The identities of the people and their motive behind the attack are yet to be established. Their names, addresses, and other details are being recorded. An investigation has been launched, and the entire sequence of events is being examined," a police official said.

According to police, the organisers had not received permission to hold the protest until Sunday night. Conditional approval was later granted, including a restriction limiting participation to no more than 800 people.

Further investigation into the incident is underway.