‘Feared They Would Arrest Him’: Abhijeet Dipke’s Parents Criticise Government After Delhi Police Detention

Pune: The parents of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke have criticised the government after Delhi Police detained him ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, Oct 10. His mother, Anita Dipke, said she had feared her son would be arrested before he left for Delhi. His father, Bhagwan Dipke, accused the government of undermining democracy and questioned the police action against protesters.

Abhijeet was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi to join a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest was linked to allegations of manipulation of electoral rolls, including the deletion of voters' names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

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Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration. Abhijeet and fellow CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained inside the aircraft shortly after it landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, according to media reports.

Reacting to the detention, Anita said the government had acted wrongly by taking action against young people who wanted to raise issues concerning the country.

“The government has done a very bad thing. The government should not have done this,” she said, questioning why authorities were acting against protesters while, in her view, failing to take equally swift action against people suspected of serious crimes.

She described the detention as unjust and said her son had the right to participate in a protest.

‘I Kept Telling Him They Would Arrest Him’

Anita said she had repeatedly warned Abhijeet that he could face arrest after returning from previous activities.

“Wherever you go, I am always scared that they will arrest you anywhere,” she recalled telling him.

She said she had warned him again before he left for Delhi. However, Abhijeet had reassured her that nothing of the sort would happen.

Anita said she became emotional and started crying as he left home. According to her, Abhijeet told her not to worry and said that whatever happened would be for the good.

She said the detention had proved her fears right.

Anita also questioned why the authorities were acting against her son and other protesters while, according to her, failing to take action against people seen carrying sticks and bricks in videos circulating on social media.

She alleged that people posting such videos were not facing similar action. Her allegations could not be independently verified.

Comparing the present situation with the period when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, Anita said she believed the earlier period had been better. She also rejected any suggestion that her son had intended to create trouble through the protest.

Anita Dipke also questioned why her son had previously been labelled a Pakistani, asking, “First of all, is he from Pakistan?” She said similar allegations had been made against him earlier and criticised the government for detaining him again. She maintained that Abhijeet was working for the public and had gone to Delhi to participate in a protest, not to create unrest.

Father Invokes Constitutional Right To Protest

Bhagwan also criticised the detention and said his son and the other protesters were neither terrorists nor militants.

He said they had intended to participate in a peaceful demonstration and questioned why police had detained them.

Bhagwan invoked the Constitution and the democratic rights associated with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. He argued that citizens should be able to question the government and raise concerns through protests.

He also questioned the need for police permission to hold a demonstration, arguing that citizens should not have to seek the government's approval to raise questions about its actions.

In strong political remarks, Bhagwan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of undermining democracy. These were his political allegations and not independently established findings.

He described the detention as an attack on democratic values and compared the situation with the period following the Emergency. Delhi Police's reported position was that permission for the Jantar Mantar demonstration had been denied.

Grandmother Dies While Abhijeet Remains In Detention

The detention came amid another major development in the family. Abhijeet's paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died at her home in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district on Saturday around 11.30 am.

She had reportedly been unwell for about a month and had previously received treatment at a hospital in Hingoli. Family sources cited in media reports attributed her death to prolonged illness and age-related ailments.

Abhijeet was in Delhi Police detention when news of her death emerged. According to news agency ANI, Delhi Police sources said he had been informed of the death and could decide whether to remain in detention or return to Maharashtra for the last rites.

His parents left for their native village after learning of the death, according to media reports. The available information does not establish whether Abhijeet was subsequently released or permitted to attend the funeral.

Why Was The Protest Planned?

The CJP had planned the demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over allegations concerning electoral rolls and the SIR process.

The allegations of electoral manipulation remain contested.

Abhijeet had publicly maintained that the demonstration would go ahead despite the restrictions and had said he was prepared to face detention.

The CJP has previously organised protests over alleged examination and recruitment irregularities, including demands for action against then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The detention has drawn criticism from Abhijeet's parents, who have argued that citizens should be allowed to question the government through democratic means.