- 3 hours ago
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Abhijeet Deepke, founder and convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), outlined the growth and future trajectory of his youth movement. Deepke addressed the fallout from student protests at Jantar Mantar and the subsequent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He designated the July 20 police action at Jantar Mantar as the critical turning point that expanded the movement's national reach, while acknowledging activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike in mobilizing public support. Rejecting claims of being an Aam Aadmi Party proxy, receiving foreign funding, or operating with external political backing, Deepke asserted that the movement is entirely independent and sustained directly by citizens, academics, and doctors. Addressing systemic distrust, youth unemployment, economic anxiety, and exam paper leaks, Deepke stated that CJP will remain a political pressure group rather than contesting elections, while pledging legal defense and street action for students facing police FIRs.
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00:00Hello and welcome to this India Today special. Two months ago, he was completely unknown. Two months later, he's become
00:10one of the most significant public figures in the country.
00:14My guest today is Abhijit Dipke, the founder of the Kokruj Janta Party, who in a way typifies that old
00:24Hindi saying,
00:25ish desh mein kuch bhi ho sakta hai. Thank you very much Abhijit for joining me there from Sambhaji Nagar,
00:32Aurangabad on the show.
00:34I want to ask you, when you put out that tweet, Abhijit, on 16th of May, what if all the
00:42Kokruj's came together after the Chief Justice of India's comments
00:45likening cockroaches to unemployed youth? Did you expect that one day your movement would result in a union minister in
00:55the Modi government resigning?
00:57Honest answer.
01:02Not even in my wildest dreams, sir. I would have imagined that so many people will come out on the
01:08street and that would result in the resignation of the union minister.
01:11Not even in my wildest dream, I would have ever imagined something like this. Because when we started this, I
01:18remember when I decided to come to India,
01:21many of my friends and my sister, my sister even, she was telling me, what do you think, are you
01:26going, do you think that if you go back to India,
01:28people will come out on the street and you will be able to bring a kind of revolution. And I
01:33had to tell them that I am no way delusional.
01:36I am not going there with a, like, I am not going back thinking that thousands of people will come
01:43out on the streets.
01:44I am just going back to give a message that I am not afraid of asking questions to this government.
01:49And most of all, the biggest message
01:51that I wanted to give is that I am not a national security threat as they were claiming because I
01:57was in the US as a, as an Indian.
01:59I was, I went there as an Indian student and it really hurt me, it really disappointed me that the
02:07nation that I was representing in the US,
02:09I was known there as an Indian. And the same nation, the same government was calling me a national security
02:14threat.
02:15And that is why I chose to come back to country.
02:18One question though, Sonam Vangchuk, when you concluded your movement, you thanked a lot of people.
02:24What about Sonam Vangchuk? I didn't hear his name. Has there been any divide now between CJP and Sonam Vangchuk?
02:30No, sir. Is he still a mentor for you? Or are you all disappointed because he broke his past without
02:36informing you all by taking, by doing a photograph with JP, Nadda and Jeetendra Singh? Are you all still on
02:42the same page?
02:47Yes, sir. We are still pretty much on the same page. I have spoken to him on the call. And
02:52I am, I want to tell you this.
02:55I was thanking the students because after the 20th July, this movement belonged to the students of the country. This
03:00movement belonged to the youth.
03:02And they were the ones who faced the brutal Lathi charge. But we cannot forget the sacrifice that Sonam Vangchuk,
03:09sir, has made.
03:10He risked his life for 26 days. He was on hunger strike. By risking his own life, he has awakened
03:16the nation.
03:17By risking his own life, he has brought this nation on the streets to question the government.
03:22And without his hunger strike, the resignation of the education minister wouldn't have been possible.
03:27And I personally was requesting him to end his hunger strike. And I was very relieved the day he ended
03:33his hunger strike.
03:34Because I was personally requesting him to end his hunger strike. And I was telling him, sir, you please end
03:39your hunger strike. We will continue our protest.
03:40But were you disappointed that he was… And we will ensure that this protest will…
03:44Were you disappointed that he was… No, were you disappointed by the photograph of him ending his hunger strike with
03:50BJP leaders?
03:51You were taking on those leaders. And he was ending his hunger strike in the company of BJP leaders.
04:01No, sir. I was not disappointed by the fact… I was disappointed by the fact that the BJP leaders, Mr.
04:06JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, Sonam Vangchuk was kidnapped in a way by the government.
04:12Because I wanted to meet him. I was not allowed to meet him. The opposition MPs were trying to meet
04:17him. They were not allowed to meet him.
04:19But how come JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh were allowed to meet him? Why only the BJP members were allowed
04:26to meet him and not anybody from the opposition party and not someone even from the CJP?
04:31So, he was kidnapped by the government, by the BJP leaders. And we were very… We were really glad he
04:37ended his hunger strike because his life is far too valuable for this country's future.
04:42Okay, let's… You know, I'll come back to certain issues later, but I want to understand what for you was
04:47the turning point?
04:48You all were on Dharna for almost a month. Suddenly, last Saturday, you get the news that the minister has
04:57resigned.
04:57What was the turning point according to you? Because in the early days, we didn't see large crowds at Jantar
05:03Mantar.
05:03It was only towards the end we saw such large crowds coming. What was the turning point, Abhijit?
05:13Sir, the turning point was the brutality on the 20th July. What the Delhi police did on the instructions of
05:20Amit Shah was really cruel and really brutal.
05:23They kind of, you know, beat up students and even children as young as 12 years old. I have seen
05:30a 12 year old girl getting bitten up by a male police officer.
05:35And after that, I think that the movement got a whole lot bigger than be it Sonam sir, be it
05:42CJP. It became a movement of the people of the country.
05:44And after that, we saw that in many parts of the country, people started coming out on the streets in
05:49support of the students who were protesting peacefully for a month and who were brutally, really brutally thrashed by the
05:56Delhi police officers.
06:00You know, from that statement, let me pick on that statement. You're saying brutally thrashed by the Delhi police officers.
06:06Now the Delhi police is doing press conferences where the police officers who were injured, their family members are coming
06:13and saying, look, this protest, our police officers were injured, anti-social elements entered.
06:19Don't, you know, why only are you focusing on one side of the story? How do you respond to that?
06:25Because that criticism is coming again and again that your protest movement somewhere, according to the Delhi police, got taken
06:31over that day by anti-social elements.
06:38Sir, my full sympathies and my prayers are with the police officers who were injured on that day. And I
06:46feel more sad because they were attacked by the goons sent by the BJP.
06:50On the night of the 19th July, the Delhi police itself arranged trucks loaded with stones which were parked near
06:57Jantramantar and they also parked already vandalized van there.
07:02And we have seen the reports how the police is lying about that truck. We were told on 20th July
07:09morning that the truck was of the MCD.
07:11Abhijji, police has denied it. Police has denied it. Police has denied the truck story. Police is denying the truck
07:20story.
07:20Police is lying, sir. Police is lying about it. On the 20th July morning, the police themselves told us that
07:29the truck belongs to MCD.
07:35Go on. And I feel sad for the police officers because the stones were hurled by the goons sent by
07:44the BJP.
07:49Okay, you're saying the stones were hurled by the goons sent by the BJP. And you've also said that all
07:56of this happened on the instructions of Amit Shah, the home minister.
07:59Now, there is no evidence of that. You are echoing what Rahul Gandhi is also saying, you know, that all
08:04of this was done on the instructions of Amit Shah.
08:06Do you believe that, I mean, this, there will be those who will say, Abhijji Deepke is making these allegations
08:12because his movement has now become firmly anti-BJP.
08:16What started off was the resignation of the education minister in the NEET paper league is now a fully blown
08:22anti-BJP, anti-Modi government.
08:25Target Amit Shah, target Narendra Modi.
08:33Sir, I have been saying this since day one that some people will be sent in the crowd by the
08:41BJP because this was not the first time.
08:4320th July was not the first time. I remember on the 10th or 12th day of the protest, some people
08:49from the BJP came to the protest site.
08:52They beaten up some people and later they were immediately released by the police and they also made a video
08:58saying that Abhi ekko marai shamko aakar aurko marunga and when I asked the police why they are not under
09:04arrest, the police said that we cannot arrest people randomly.
09:07If somebody is beating up people so openly and if after that the police still says that we cannot arrest
09:13people randomly, that means that the police have received clear instructions not to arrest people or the goons sent by
09:20the BJP.
09:20And who is controlling the police officer sir? I am not alleging anything. I am not making any allegations. What
09:26I am saying is plain truth.
09:28Who is the Delhi police reporting to? It is reporting to Amit Shah. If Amit Shah is not aware of
09:34this, then it is his failure sir.
09:36And how can we not speak up against Amit Shah when the children, the youth of this country was so
09:42brutally beaten up by the Delhi police? Are we supposed to stay silent?
09:45Pellet guns were used against students. Some of the students are seriously injured because of the pellet guns. Why pellet
09:51guns were used against students?
09:58You see the question Abhijit will arise is that as I said that there will be those listening to this
10:03who will say your entire movement which was started off as you said with a tweet about cockroaches coming together.
10:10We started off with asking for the resignation of the education minister has now become an anti-BJP anti-Modi
10:17government.
10:18Your comments in the last two, three days, you have said the firing was that the pellet guns were fired
10:24on the instructions of Amit Shah, that the police acted on the instructions of Amit Shah.
10:29You have said that the prime minister should maybe vacate his seat and become an influencer.
10:33You are targeting the prime minister every day.
10:35You have even gone to the extent of claiming that during the protests, you were under pressure to switch sides
10:42and join the BJP so that nothing could happen to you.
10:45So you are making daily statements now against the BJP.
10:49Is your movement now essentially an anti-BJP, anti-Modi movement?
10:57Sir, I want to ask you who is in power?
11:01Who is in power?
11:03Under whose government the Lathi charge was ordered?
11:06Under whose government the paper got leaked?
11:09Under whose government more than 20 students had to commit suicide?
11:13Which is the party that is ruling India currently?
11:15If we are not going to question the ruling party, who we will question?
11:21If there would have been any other party that would have been ruling India right now, who would have been
11:25at the center, we would have questioned them.
11:28But because it is the BJP, it is the BJP under whose government the paper got leaked which resulted in
11:33the suicide of more than 20 students and which did not stop there.
11:37They spilled more blood on the streets of Delhi on 20 July.
11:40It was under this government and it happens to be the BJP government.
11:45What can we do about it?
11:46Should we not question them?
11:47Are they above the country?
11:50Are they above the constitution?
11:56The question, Abhijit, is you have every right to question whoever is in power.
12:02But I will tell you two theories that are coming.
12:04One is that Abhijit Deepke is an AAP proxy.
12:08One is that you are an AAM Admi proxy because you work closely with AAM Admi, particularly with Mani Sisodia
12:13between 2020 and 2022.
12:15The other theory is that you are actually put up by the establishment, by the deep state close to the
12:23BJP establishment so that you could become a distraction and you could perhaps target in a way the Congress's youth
12:31vote.
12:31That Rahul Gandhi had started Chhatro Ki Goonj around the neat paper leak with the NSUI along comes Abhijit Deepke
12:39to in some way divide that vote or maybe be a distraction from the Ram Mandir Chanda Chori.
12:45So you are either being seen by some as an AAM Admi party proxy because of your past and others
12:51are saying you have been used as a distraction by people in power.
13:00Two things sir, first thing, I have nowhere hide the fact that I did work for the AAM Admi party
13:06in my past.
13:07I did not delete any of my tweets like Raghav Chadha.
13:10I did not try to hide it.
13:12I was very honest and transparent about my past.
13:14And I had worked for a political party.
13:17I had not worked for any terrorist organizations.
13:20I don't know when did that become a crime.
13:22If I am 30 years old, I would have definitely voted for someone, being aligned with someone like all of
13:28us must have been at some part of our life.
13:31So there was nothing wrong in it.
13:33And this movement has been totally independent.
13:36The protesters, the supporters, the students who were coming at this protest, they were mostly apolitical.
13:42There were thousands and lakhs of people on the streets of Delhi on 20 July.
13:45Are you telling me that those were all AAM Admi party supporters?
13:48No, they were not.
13:49Don't try to insult the youth in that manner by dismissing them and by limiting them to a certain political
13:55party just because I worked for that political party in my past.
14:00And coming to the second point that I am being established or being set up by the BJP, to that
14:06I want to ask, is that why the BJP ordered such a brutal lati charge on us?
14:11Is that why I was bitten up in Jaipur by a BJP supporter, by a BJP member?
14:17Is that why the Delhi police on the day the Sonu Mangchuk was picked up from the protest site?
14:24Is that why the Delhi police bitten me up, dragged me on the street, took away my phone?
14:28Is that why the water supply to the Jantar Mantar's washroom was cut off by the BJP government?
14:35On one hand, the BJP government not only stopped our drinking water, they also stopped the water supply to the
14:42washroom.
14:42They even tried to stop food supplies at Jantar Mantar.
14:46They raided houses of the people who were donating waters and food to Jantar Mantar.
14:50Later, I was slapped at Jaipur by a BJP supporter.
14:53Later, the Delhi police authorities beaten me up when Sonu Mangchuk was picked up from the protest site.
15:01Is that why the mainstream media completely ignored us?
15:07They didn't cover us for more than 20 days.
15:10If I was being set up by the BJP, I am telling you, the mainstream media would have covered me
15:16from day 1, 24-7, but they did not.
15:19The fact that the mainstream media boycotted us completely, blacked us out completely, is the biggest evidence that this was
15:29not supported by the BJP.
15:34You know, because the question arises, yesterday in Parliament also during the debate, some of the NDA members said that
15:42this was a foreign-funded movement.
15:44Some are saying foreign-funded, some are saying Aam Atmi Party funded.
15:47Who funded your movement?
15:50Let's get this very clear, because there is a section which went to Parliament, Sanjay Jha of the JDU said
15:55this was foreign-funded.
15:57Others are saying that your movement is Aam Atmi Party funded.
16:00Who funded the movement is a question they are asking.
16:06Sir, first of all, if the people from the ruling party believes that this movement was funded by foreign powers,
16:13then I think this is the clear failure of the Home Minister of the country.
16:17Amit Shah has failed to do his job.
16:20How can foreign powers influence Indian protest or Indian political things when Amit Shah is the Home Minister?
16:28It is his failure then.
16:29Then question should be asked to Amit Shah.
16:31How come, despite him being the Home Minister, foreign powers were able to control this protest?
16:37The question must be asked to Amit Shah.
16:39And coming to the second one, it was not funded by any political party, but it was funded by the
16:44people of this country.
16:45Many of the professors who came to our protest, they offered, they sponsored the food.
16:49And not just the professors, some many prominent doctors who visited us, provide us.
16:55They said that we are going to sponsor the dinner for all the students who are staying put at Jantar
16:59Mantar.
16:59And it was not just the doctors and the protesters.
17:03Even the water bottles that were coming at Jantar Mantar, in discreet, some of the police officers who were in
17:10support of us,
17:11they said us, we don't want to disclose our identity, but we are going to provide you water bottles.
17:16So, no one from the Aam Atmi Party, at no stage did the Aam Atmi Party provide you funding, strategy,
17:22resources, no stage.
17:25Not true that at any stage, in any form, the Aam Atmi Party got involved with your movement?
17:30Not at all, sir.
17:33Not at all, sir.
17:34Kejriwal didn't advise you at any stage?
17:36The Aam Atmi Party supported us just the way Shiv Senat.
17:40No, not at all.
17:41I mean, there were Jamers at Jantar Mantar.
17:44I was not even able to speak to my parents.
17:46How am I supposed to, how I can speak to other political leaders?
17:50But the Aam Atmi supported this movement the same way the Shiv Senat did, the Samajwadi Party did,
17:55the TMC did, the Congress did, and the NCP did, just like the DMK and all the CPI, CPIM.
18:07It's interesting you're using Congress there, because there is a feeling that the Congress stayed away.
18:12Rahul Gandhi did not come to your Jantar Mantar platform.
18:15The only one I know who came was Pawan Khera came, reached out to Sonam Vangchuk.
18:20And at no stage has the Congress leadership mentioned the Kaukrut Janata Party.
18:25They keep saying student protests, youth protests, they do not mention your party.
18:30And one reason for that is there is a belief that the Congress feels,
18:33I believe you tried to reach out to the Congress, they stayed away.
18:36So the Congress seems to believe that you are an Aam Atmi proxy,
18:40or somewhere that you are not to be trusted.
18:43How do you respond?
18:44Is it true that the Congress stayed away from your movement,
18:47that you reached out to Rahul Gandhi, but he stayed away?
18:53No, actually Pawan Khera did come to the protest side,
18:56and did say that I am coming on behalf of the Congress Party,
18:59and the Congress Party stands with the students' movement.
19:03And many of the politicians from Maharashtra, who belongs to the Congress Party,
19:06did visit Jantar Mantar.
19:08And I think, sir, we are doing a great disservice to all the students,
19:12to all the supporters, who stayed put at Jantar Mantar for more than 36 days,
19:17to seek the resignation of the education minister,
19:20by labeling them, or by labeling me to a certain political party.
19:23We cannot dismiss them like that.
19:25They have done a great work, they have made great sacrifices.
19:30Many of the students who were at Jantar Mantar, they fought with their families.
19:33Some of them did not even inform their families that they were at Jantar Mantar.
19:37They fought with a big machinery and got a big victory, sir.
19:42Nobody has been able to get a resignation out of this government.
19:45But it was the youth of this country, it were the students who managed to do that.
19:49And I think we should give them some credit for this.
19:52Abhijit, you made your views pretty clear on Prime Minister Modi.
19:55What are your views on Rahul Gandhi then?
19:57You know, I keep repeating, Rahul Gandhi did not come and share a stage with you.
20:01What are your views on Rahul Gandhi?
20:06Sir, I would like to say that we are here to speak on behalf of the youth and whatever is
20:11going wrong in the country.
20:13I don't have any personal grudges against Narendra Modi.
20:15It's just because he's the Prime Minister.
20:16I think that he's responsible for whatever happens in the country.
20:20The day Rahul Gandhi becomes that person or somebody else becomes that person, it can be whoever.
20:26That is the day I will comment on that.
20:28But as of today, I believe that the youth of this country is really disgruntled, disappointed with all the political
20:36parties.
20:37And somewhere they need to do some course correction if they really want to catch the imagination of these people.
20:42So, what happens to your past criticisms of Rahul Gandhi?
20:45Do they still hold?
20:46When you tweeted against Rahul Gandhi, do those tweets still hold where you were critical of him?
20:54Sir, that was my personal opinion.
20:57I believe that this movement is much, much bigger than that.
21:00I understand that responsibility.
21:01So, nowhere I'm going to let my personal inclination, my personal bias, my personal opinions decide the shape of this
21:08movement, sir.
21:10They include ISA students.
21:12All India Students Association associated with CPIML.
21:15There are students, SFI, left unions.
21:18Were you all together or is there credit taking now?
21:21Do you give them equal credit?
21:23Because Rahul Gandhi was seen with ISA students but not with CJP.
21:26No, no, of course.
21:27Are you all divided or are you all united?
21:35No, sir.
21:36We are not divided at all.
21:37All the student organization, I would like to thank them all because they have done a remarkable job to continue
21:43this protest.
21:44And since day one, they have been there.
21:45So, I would like to give them all credit as well.
21:47They have been really solid throughout this protest.
21:54You know, I want to ask you though, one of the conditions for withdrawing the protest was the fact that
21:59you wanted all FIRs withdrawn against all students.
22:03Yet, even yesterday, zero FIRs have been filed against those who made abusive remarks.
22:09A girl called Ruchika Singh made abusive remarks from Ghaziabad.
22:12Zero FIR against her.
22:13There are still FIRs that have not been withdrawn in different states.
22:16There are protesters who are still being called in by the police, detained, questioned.
22:21I mean, in that sense, who is going to speak up from them?
22:24You have now claimed victory because Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned.
22:28But what happens to all those students?
22:30Who is going to stand up for them?
22:35Sir, we are standing up for them.
22:37Our team is in constantly touch with all the students.
22:40And because you know that we are a very, like a small team, but we are trying our best to
22:44reach out to all the students.
22:45And through your channel, I want to tell them all that we are going to be there for you.
22:50And whatever legal help is going to be needed, the CJP will provide all legal help.
22:55For that, we are also consulting with Mr. Kapil Sibbal, who has, like, said that he will be providing his
23:02legal help.
23:03And we are grateful to him.
23:05But I want to assure all the students that, no, you won't be left alone.
23:10We are going to be there for you.
23:11And we are already in touch with them.
23:13Ratna, Saurav are constantly in touch and constantly trying to get back all the FIs.
23:18And it's in the best interest of the government to take back all the FIs that they have filed against
23:23the students who were peacefully protesting.
23:26Because if the government is going to harass the students who were protesting peacefully,
23:31then the government doing a big mistake because these people will come out on the streets.
23:35We will come out on the streets again if they harass the students.
23:42Because there is a feeling that you have left the students in the lurch.
23:45I want to be very clear.
23:46If there is still harassment of students, will you go back to protest?
23:50Or is your protest over and you are now looking for a new issue?
23:57Not at all, sir.
23:58We are going to stand with the students.
23:59And if needed, we are going to hit the streets very soon if the government doesn't take back the FIs.
24:04And I think this is not true.
24:10We are constantly talking with the government and we are asking them to take back the FIs.
24:15And that is why the government of Bihar, the government of West Bengal have issued those statements.
24:20We are continuously trying.
24:22A narrative is going on.
24:23Some people are trying to push the narrative that the CJP has abandoned the students.
24:27That's not true at all.
24:28We have sent people back home as well.
24:31The people who didn't have the money to go back, we have helped them as well.
24:35We have helped the people who were admitted to the hospital.
24:39I have personally visited those people at the hospital.
24:42It's just that my mistake, it's a mistake on our part that we are not seasoned politicians.
24:47And we were not aware that we have to get us clicked.
24:50We have to carry the camera phones if we are meeting the injured students.
24:53We have to keep the recordings if we are talking to the people to provide them legal help or even
24:58to provide help them in going back home.
25:01We were not recording any of this.
25:02But that does not mean that we are not doing anything for them.
25:05We are reaching out to all the people, whoever it is possible.
25:10Because many people are reaching out to me as well.
25:12And I have personally tried to provide them help in going back home.
25:16I have spoken to people who were raided by the Delhi police.
25:19I have taken their contacts.
25:21I have spoken to them and I have told them.
25:23That whatever help is needed, we will provide you all legal help.
25:26Don't you ever think that we are going to leave any student behind.
25:30But it is just that, sir, as I said, that we are new to this.
25:33We were not aware that we need to record ourselves.
25:35We need to click our photos while doing so.
25:38That was our mistake.
25:42You know, one of your last words at the protest site on Saturday was, this is not the end.
25:47We will meet again soon.
25:49I want to understand, how will you meet?
25:50Are you going to form a political party?
25:52Is the CJP now going to become a political party?
25:55Are you going to start now other political agitations?
25:58Or are you going to go back to Boston, back to your studies?
26:01What is Abhijit Deepke now going to do next?
26:08No, I am not going to Boston for sure.
26:10And coming to the question of forming a political party, we are not thinking anything on those lines.
26:16What we are going to do is that we are going to remain a political pressure group.
26:20Our fight is going to be political because I believe that everybody needs to be political in this country.
26:25We need to work on political literacy.
26:28We cannot afford to say that I am apolitical.
26:31Being apolitical is being ignorant and we cannot afford to be ignorant.
26:36So, we are going to go forward as a political pressure group.
26:43You know, you are saying political pressure group, but you are making, as I said at the outset, more and
26:47more political statements.
26:48You are calling for Amit Shah's resignation, which echoes what Rahul Gandhi is saying in Parliament.
26:53You are targeting the Prime Minister.
26:54I want to understand, you know, where you say you are a political pressure group, what kind?
26:59Only focusing on education or are demanding resignations of ministers?
27:03Today, Dharmendra Pradhan, tomorrow it could be someone else.
27:05Is that what you are going to do?
27:10It won't be just education.
27:11Education is going to be one of the biggest issues that we will be focusing on.
27:16Along with unemployment and along with, sir, the great economic divide, our country is saying there is a great economic
27:23anxiety.
27:23In our nation today.
27:25And unfortunately, the government doesn't realize it.
27:28And that is why people are so frustrated, so disappointed with the government.
27:32Because in today's time, people don't have jobs.
27:35And whoever has jobs, they don't have a dignified job.
27:38People are earning not even minimum wage, sir.
27:41So, how are people supposed to manage their livelihoods?
27:45Whatever you saw at Jantar Mantar, that was a collective anger against the government, not just against one single minister.
27:52Yes, that minister was responsible for the fiasco in NEET and other examination system.
27:56And he was supposed to be held accountable and we have managed to do that.
28:00We want to bring accountability culture back in India.
28:04Now, they cannot say that it is not in the government.
28:07If there is a mistake, if there is a bad thing, if there is a bad thing, so the resignation
28:13must happen.
28:14And we will keep working towards that along with working on putting up, like bringing the economic condition of the
28:21country at the forefront.
28:23And sir, one thing we need to understand is that the youth of this country is really disappointed, not just
28:29because of the education or the economic divide.
28:31There is a great distrust among the youth on the political ecosystem and also on the institutions of the country.
28:40The people of this country feel that who should we trust now?
28:43We go to the judiciary.
28:46We don't get justice there.
28:48We go to the political parties.
28:50We elect them.
28:50But when we elect them, they switch the parties.
28:53So, who should these people trust?
28:56The investigative agencies, they no longer work for the common people.
29:02They are working as a political outfit of the ruling party.
29:06They can be seeing, reading people, whoever is speaking against the government.
29:10So, this is a collective anger.
29:12There is a great distrust among the people on the government, on the institutions and on the entire political ecosystem.
29:20We need to work on that.
29:21We need to bring back that trust.
29:23If we don't bring back that trust among the people, it is a very dangerous thing for the democracy.
29:29And as someone who believes in democracy, as someone who believes in peace, and as someone who believes in the
29:34legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, Jawaharlal, Nehru,
29:37I want the trust to be back in the minds of the people that, yes, there are systems who are
29:43there for the common people.
29:44Yes, there are institutions who will protect the common people.
29:51But, you know, there are those who are listening to what you just said, who will say, well, Abhijit Deepke
29:55is now a politician.
29:57You know, you are saying you want to be a political pressure group, but there will be those who will
30:00say that that's not going to change.
30:02You may have succeeded this one time.
30:04But if you really want to make a change, you are going to have to join politics.
30:08Are you ready now to join politics?
30:10Let's be very clear.
30:11Lots of Maharashtra politicians are meeting you.
30:14There is, many believe there is a vacuum in opposition politics in Maharashtra.
30:18Do you want to be a full-time politician, yes or no?
30:25No, sir, I don't want to be a full-time politician.
30:27What is the use of being a full-time politician?
30:29The votes get deleted.
30:31If I try to contest election, the votes will be deleted.
30:33And if not the vote, ED will be sent out after the people that support me.
30:38That is the condition.
30:39That is the harsh reality of our country.
30:40And that is why we believe that the change in India in today's time is possible only through a public
30:46movement.
30:46And that is what we need.
30:47And that is what we will work on.
30:52Okay, so you are going to work on more public movements.
30:55Have you decided what your next campaign?
30:57Have you already decided what your next campaign of the Kokrut Janata Party is?
31:02We are working on that, sir.
31:04We are working on that.
31:05We are just trying to regroup again.
31:07We are just trying to get in.
31:08We are trying to have meetings with all of our volunteers who have helped us manage this protest.
31:13Because everybody was there for more than a month.
31:15So everybody is just with their families now.
31:17And by the end of this weekend, we will be regrouping.
31:21And we will be deciding on our future agendas.
31:27Okay, you know, Abhiji, there was a book written on Manmohan Singh.
31:32It was called Accidental Prime Minister.
31:34In many ways, you become an accidental leader.
31:37Whether you like it or not, whether you are willing to admit it or not, that's what's happened over the
31:42last few weeks.
31:44We will therefore look very closely to see what kind of role you play.
31:49You've also...
31:49I'm presuming, of course...
31:51On that, sir, I have one thing to say, sir.
31:52If you don't want to be seen as a Dalit leader or a Dalit politician...
31:56You don't want to be seen as a Dalit leader, Dalit politician?
31:59Do you want to be seen as an accidental leader?
32:05I have one thing to say on that, sir.
32:07The demographic of India is such that 60% of the population of this country in today's time is from
32:14the age group of 20 to 35.
32:17These are the people in majority.
32:19That means 60% of India belongs to the young people.
32:22So it's in the best interest of the country.
32:25It's in the best interest of the democracy of this country that more and more young people should come forward
32:29to take things in hand.
32:31and to shape the future of this country.
32:33How it can be that 60% of this country belongs to the young people and the decisions are being
32:41made by the people who are supposed to be retired?
32:47And yes, coming to the Dalit question that I happen to be a person who is Dalit and I have...
32:54Yes.
32:54Yeah.
32:57Yeah.
32:58I am someone who happens to be a Dalit.
33:00I am an Ambedkarite and I will remain one.
33:04Yeah.
33:04I will remain an Ambedkarite.
33:06I believe in Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
33:08And I believe that...
33:10Until today, it's unfortunate that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was limited to a certain community.
33:15Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is not just a leader of a certain community, not just of the Dalits.
33:20Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a leader of India who has shaped India,
33:23who has given us the India that we have today.
33:26And it's because of him, women have all the fundamental rights.
33:31It's not just the Dalits who he uplifted.
33:33It's the women of this country.
33:34Without Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the women of this country would have still be struggling for right to education,
33:39right to employment and something as basic as right to inherit properties.
33:45Without Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, I don't think the women of this country would have got their right to inherit properties.
33:52They would still be struggling for that.
33:54So, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is the leader for any person who is oppressed by the system.
34:00He belongs to every person who faces injustice, oppression by the system.
34:08And J. Bhim is the slogan of the people who are oppressed.
34:11It doesn't belong to one single community.
34:13It belongs to the people of India.
34:15It belongs to the people who believes in the constitution of India.
34:18And it belongs to the people who are ready to fight for injustice.
34:23Okay, I'm going to leave it there.
34:26Abhijit Deepke, you're back in Shambhaji Nagar with your family.
34:30You've become a bit of a hero, as I said, accidental hero.
34:33Has your life changed?
34:35Have you become an ahankar?
34:38Have you become arrogant now that I can do anything?
34:47Sir, first of all, I want to convey this to everybody.
34:51Stop making people hero overnight.
34:54Whatever problem we face in our country is because we have made one person bigger than the constitution of India,
35:02bigger than all the institutions of India, bigger than the country itself.
35:05And we don't do this just with the politicians.
35:07We do this with every single celebrity.
35:09We do this with the film stars.
35:11We do this with the cricketers.
35:13We do this with every single famous personality.
35:16And we should be stopped doing this.
35:18I request all young people who are watching this,
35:21start looking at other famous people just the way you are.
35:24Don't think they are above you.
35:26The day you think they are above you,
35:28somewhere you are responsible for making them inaccountable, inaccessible.
35:33Keep them grounded.
35:34It's up to you.
35:35You, if you make these people bigger than you,
35:38then you have the right to your fault.
35:39Don't understand your value from the country.
35:41Don't think they are absolutely important.
35:42Don't make them enjoy themselves.
35:43They're the right to you.
35:43The fact is what you are есть and others.
35:46If you will now make them similar to yourself.
35:49You are responsible for whatever this country will ruin the kingdom.
35:52Do not make them environment.
35:53Don't factor yourself an overnight hero.
35:54Don't make you.
35:56Don't make me even in a half decade.
35:57I will be outdated for 10 years I am not outdated,
35:59after 10 years.
36:00there will be somebody else who will come,
36:02there will be other things like theье.
36:04Janta Party and that is what exactly is needed for this country. This country should not be
36:08limited to few people. The democracy should not be limited to few people. The protest should not
36:13be limited to few people. The beauty of democracy is that it evolves with time, it evolves with the
36:20people. Okay, I'm going to leave it there. You know, your last comments about hero worship,
36:26echo what Baba Sahib Ambedkar said about what hero worship can do to a democracy.
36:33And therefore, on that note, Abhijit Deepke for joining me and sharing your thoughts and views
36:39on what has been a rather dramatic two months in your life. Thank you very much for being part
36:46of this India Today special.
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