Amid speculation of an internal rift within the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), its founder Abhijeet Dipke took a humorous swipe at the rumours by sharing a photograph with fellow leaders Saurav Dass and Ashutosh Ranka, captioned "internal rift".
Dipke shared the photograph on Instagram, appearing to poke fun at claims of divisions within the group, days after Dass and Ranka were released on bail from Tihar Jail and the CJP paused its protests.
The picture showed Ranka and Dass playfully holding their fists above Dipke's head as he stood between them.
Dipke also shared a humorous video featuring CJP members, in which he was heard saying, "After this, no one will walk alone in the garden!" The CJP leaders responded, "Okay Shaktiman".
The posts came amid questions about the group’s internal dynamics, particularly after the CJP announced a break from protests until Diwali, citing the need for members to spend time with their families.
Ranka and Das were released from Tihar Jail on October 22 after a special executive magistrate court ordered their release, subject to personal bonds and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each, along with written undertakings to maintain peace.
The two leaders had been in judicial custody since October 13 in connection with a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. They were accused of entering the denotified protest site and violating peace bonds.
In their undertakings, Ranka and Das promised not to breach the peace and said they would not call for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site was denotified in accordance with the law. They also undertook to ensure that any protests organised by them remained within the constitutional framework.
In an earlier video, Dipke had publicly credited Ranka and Das with being the principal decision-makers behind the CJP movement, describing himself as someone who followed their instructions.
Dipke said the two co-convenors had played a major role in taking the movement forward and were responsible for several of its decisions.
"I always feel that if anyone has really taken this movement forward, it is Ashu (Ashutosh Ranka) and Saurav. Both of them have had a very, very big role. I was just following their orders, I'm telling you honestly," he said.
Dipke added that although he might appear to be the leader from the outside, Ranka and Das were the ones who told him where to go and what to do.
The comments subsequently drew criticism from some social media users, who accused Dipke of shifting responsibility onto Ranka and Das to distance himself from the movement's activities.
In a follow-up video, Dipke rejected the allegations, insisting that he was not throwing the two leaders under the bus. He described Ranka and Das as his brothers and family and said he had no insecurity about acknowledging their stronger decision-making abilities.
"If someone is better than me, then I don't have even a little insecurity in accepting it, not even a little shame," he said.
Dipke also said the three shared a close personal bond and that the group operated like a family rather than being controlled by one individual.
He also defended Ranka and Das against comparisons between the CJP's protests and violent unrest in France, arguing that the two had chosen peaceful resistance despite their imprisonment.
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