Government curbs, not protests, damage business, says CJP leader

Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), asserted Friday that peaceful protests do not damage business interests, but government-imposed shutdowns, internet suspensions and movement restrictions inflict real economic harm.

Speaking ahead of the CJP's planned 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march at Central Park in Connaught Place, Dipke said the party had successfully conducted peaceful demonstrations across major Indian cities including Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur. He disclosed that he was personally assaulted during the Jaipur protest but refrained from responding with violence, citing the movement's commitment to non-violent principles.

"We prefer to exercise the constitutional rights guaranteed to us under the Constitution drafted under the leadership of Dr B R Ambedkar, rather than resort to physical force," Dipke stated on X, the social media platform.

Rejecting characterizations of CJP members as anarchists, Dipke framed the party's activities as legitimate exercises of democratic rights. He contended that demanding governmental accountability, protesting against perceived injustices and questioning public policy constituted fundamental democratic functions protected by the Constitution, not acts of disruption or lawlessness.