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Informist, Friday, Jul. 24, 2026

 

--Govt, Cockroach Janta Party leaders to hold fresh talks at 1230 IST Fri 

--Cockroach Janta Party's Dipke: Minister Pradhan's ouster non-negotiable 

 

NEW DELHI – The removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is "non-negotiable", Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Friday, ahead of fresh talks with the government. Speaking to reporters at Jantar Mantar, he said the party's protest would continue till its demands were met.

 

Dipke also announced that activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, had ended the indefinite hunger strike that he started on Jun. 28. "His life is precious for us. The agitation will go on," Dipke said.

 

Talks between leaders from the government and the Cockroach Janta Party are scheduled to be held at Delhi's Constitution Club, after the party declined to go to any minister's residence and insisted on a "neutral" venue. 

 

Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka announced that a new website would be launched on which victims of the alleged police excesses during Monday's crackdown could upload video evidence of what had happened, and the party would take the legal course against the attackers. "Every police personnel and officer who assaulted you, molested you, slapped you, or tore your clothes, will be held accountable before the law," Ranka said. "We will not forget anything. And the time is near when each one of them will go to jail. It will be ensured by us," he added.

 

Ranka said that after collecting and verifying the video evidence, formal police complaints would be filed for first information reports to be lodged. "If the police don't file an FIR, we will go to the court. A lot of senior lawyers have pledged support to our movement," Ranka told mediapersons.

 

Asked about the Chief Justice of India's remarks that he did not have time to watch the videos of alleged police excesses, Dipke said, "I am sure there are many other judges who will have time for us."

 

On the question of alleged "foreign funding" of the ongoing student protests, Dipke said the government had all the investigative agencies at its disposal, and could unearth all the sources of funding. "If foreign funding is coming, then Home Minister Amit Shah should also resign. If someone can receive suspicious foreign funds under the nose of a minister like Amit Shah, who is said to be very strong, then it is a perfect case for Shah to resign," he said.

 

Party spokesperson Saurav Das said, "If indeed this protest is receiving foreign funding, why is the government engaging with Sonam Wangchuk and us?" He also raised questions about the public interest litigation filed in courts against the students' movement. "The background of all those filing those PILs should be investigated to find out their real intentions. A PIL is not a 'political interest litigation'," Das said.  End   

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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