Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical political campaign ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), has said he fears being arrested the moment he lands in Delhi.
A major fire ripped through a bed-and-breakfast facility in the densely populated Malviya Nagar area of South Delhi early on Wednesday, leaving at least 21 people dead, including 17 foreign nationals, and injuring several others. The tragedy took place at 8:48 am.As investigators intensified their probe into the tragedy, a team of Delhi Police officers visited the residence of Lovkesh Bajaj, co-owner of Hotel Flourish Stays, after preliminary findings pointed to serious breaches of building regulations and fire safety norms at the property.Delhi Police said said they issued LoC (Look out circular) against Bajaj and other accused. This will reportedly be done as a measure to ensure that they do not flee abroad.The visit formed part of a broader investigation into the deadly blaze, with authorities examining possible violations related to fire safety compliance, structural approvals, and emergency evacuation arrangements at the hotel. The Delhi Police constituted several teams to locate the hotel owner and carried out raids at multiple locations across the national capital as part of the ongoing investigation.25 rooms built instead of 6 allowed, fire reportedly started on ground floor and moreOfficials said the hotel where the fire occurred had approval to operate only six rooms under the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) scheme. However, investigators found that the owner had allegedly expanded the facility to 25 rooms. Authorities also identified similar violations at Green Residency Hotel, situated about 100 metres from the site of the blaze, which was authorised to run six rooms but was allegedly operating 28.Preliminary findings from the Delhi Fire Services indicate that the fire may have started near the staircase on the ground floor. Investigators suspect that combustible material stored in the area could have been the source of the blaze, which subsequently spread rapidly throughout the building.Officials said the exact cause of the fire, as well as the nature of the material believed to have triggered it, will only be determined after a comprehensive forensic examination.ANI sources also alleged that all the windows in the building had been sealed, severely restricting escape routes for occupants as the fire rapidly intensified.Firefighters discovered LPG cylinders inside the premises during the rescue operation. However, according to preliminary assessments, the blaze is believed to have originated from material stored near the staircase before spreading quickly through the building, sources mentioned.A detailed investigation, including forensic examinations, is currently being carried out to determine the precise circumstances that led to the tragedy.Meanwhile, former Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg described the incident as "very unfortunate" and highlighted the structural and civic issues prevalent in the area."More than 22 people have died, and this is a very unfortunate incident. This is a very congested area where fire tenders cannot move easily. There is no water source available, and encroachments have made firefighting difficult. Many houses have only one staircase. A lot of smoke was there, and people did not get time to come out. That's the reason why so many people died. Since they had no NOC and other things, I think there were no safety measures available there," Garg stated.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Malviya Nagar Satish Upadhyay said strict action would be taken against those found responsible for violating safety norms, stating, "An inquiry will be conducted, and anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested. Other B&Bs, hotels and guest houses that are not following protocols will be sealed."Amid the ongoing investigation, distraught relatives of the victims voiced anger and frustration over delays in obtaining information about their loved ones."Max Hospital said that 2-4 bodies are here, but no one tells us anything much more than that. We do not know the wherea
Laywer Sudhir Jakhar said since Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical online campaign, is abroad and no one knows when he would return, he took it upon himself to take the next step.A man visits the web page of the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party on a laptop in Dharamshala, on May 21 (AP Photo)(HT_PRINT)A 35-year-old Haryana lawyer has submitted an application with the Election Commission for registering the digital outfit 'Cockroach Janta Party' as a political party and proposed to be its national convener, news agency PTI reported.Advocate Sudhir Jakhar was quoted as saying by the news agency that he took the step as the people across the country have developed sentiments with the CJP, and it needs to be given a political platform.He said, since Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical online campaign, is abroad and no one knows when he would return, he took it upon himself to take the next step."I felt that when people have attached so much of their sentiment, we need to take it forward. And the best way to do so is to register it as a political outfit," Jakhar told PTI.The development was first reported by Hindustan Times.The lawyer said that he had been a student leader in his youth and was actively involved in the farmers' protest against the repeal of the three farm laws."I even faced cases during the farmers' agitation," the Panipat lawyer said.Jakhar said he had submitted an application to the Election Commission of India on May 22 for registration of the CJP as a political party under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.A part of the application read, “... the proposed political movement has emerged as a people-centric, democratic initiative dedicated towards community service, constitutional awareness, social accountability, environmental protection, animal welfare, transparency in governance and promotion of Fundamental Duties under Article 51-A of the Constitution of India.”Jakhar, in the application, said that the CJP seeks to work peacefully and constitutionally for the promotion of fundamental duties, strengthening democratic participation and public accountability.The party would fight for legal awareness regarding constitutional and statutory rights, encouraging community services, promoting transparency, ethical administration and rule of law, safeguarding communal harmony, public order and supporting peaceful democratic reforms through lawful means, it read.Political parody platformThe Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the political parody platform, had gained more than 22.8 million Instagram followers since being set up as a joke two weeks ago after the Chief Justice of India reportedly compared unemployed young people to ‘cockroaches’The campaign, which started as a Google Form on social media, had a website with millions of registrations. However, its website can no longer be accessed in the country and it also appears to be down elsewhere. The group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, said the ‘iconic website’ of CJP was taken down.On 21 May, the X account of Cockroach Janata Party was withheld in India.The online sensation surfaced amid a controversy over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing on May 15 on a plea concerning senior designation for a lawyer.On May 16, the CJI issued a strongly worded clarification of his remarks, saying he was "pained" by media reports suggesting he had criticised the youth.I felt that when people have attached so much of their sentiment, we need to take it forward. And the best way to do so is to register it as a political outfit.Kant emphasised that his remarks were specifically directed at individuals entering the legal profession through "fake and bogus degrees" and were "misquoted by a section of the media."(With PTI inputs)Get Latest real-time updatesStay updated with the latest Trending,
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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the political parody platform, has gained more than 22.8 million Instagram followers since being set up as a joke last weekend after the Chief Justice of India reportedly compared unemployed young people to ‘cockroaches’The campaign, which started as a Google Form on social media, had a website with millions of registrations. However, its website can no longer be accessed in the country and it also appears to be down elsewhere. The group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, said the ‘iconic website’ of CJP was taken down.Earlier, CJP’s official X page - with more than 200,000 followers – was also withheld in India. Those trying to open it are shown a message that it has been withheld "in response to a legal demand".Dipke, a political communications strategist and student at Boston University in the US, has also claimed both his personal and the group’s Instagram accounts have been hacked.The CJP - or the cockroach people's party - satirises the name of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power since 2014.The group calls itself "the voice of the lazy and unemployed". Its tongue-in-cheek membership criteria include being chronically online and having "the ability to rant professionally".Dipke, 30, told Mint earlier that CJP’s popularity was a manifestation of growing discontent among young Indians about the high unemployment rate, and a feeling that they are being ignored by mainstream political parties.As things stand, a critical question arises about the campaign's future. Will it fizzle out like other online campaigns or will it continue and convert into a physical movement.Viral Online CampaignLast week, Cockroach Janta Party has announced plans to launch a petition demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing the education system of failing millions of students.Dipke, who launched the satirical digital movement popularly known as CJP, made the appeal in a new Instagram video that quickly gained traction online.Dipke addressed his followers in Hindi and urged them to support the petition campaign in large numbers.“How are you, my cockroaches? Everyone is telling me that I’ve taken the internet by storm. But I think it's time to do some real work- the reason why we started this. Today, we're going to launch a petition demanding the Education Minister's resignation,” Dipke said in the video.What next for the Cockroach Janta Party?Well, the CJP has announced its future plans. The campaign, in a post on Instagram, acknowledged that while it began as a satirical voice, it quickly “resonated with crores of young Indians frustrated with systemic issues like paper leaks, unemployment, and a lack of accountability in the system.”“Cockroaches are the ultimate survivors, thriving in the dark crevices and outlasting every attempt to shut them down. That’s what being young in this country often feels like - mistreated, neglected and overlooked, but never giving up on life,” the post read.The CJP also attacked the government over the takedown of its X handle, the “incessant attempts by some to hack” all its socials, and the “smear campaigns”, calling them “unfortunate, but not entirely shocking”.“As the movement continues to grow exponentially with each passing day, there is growing public curiosity around the direction it will take in the days ahead. We want to make it clear - we want to build an independent, youth-driven movement focused on amplifying the concerns of young people and holding the government accountable. Our values align with the Constitution of India. Taking inspiration from our nation's founders - Gandhi, Ambedkar, Nehru, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, we believe in secularism, democracy and social justice,” the post clarified about the outfit’s ideology.Over the next few days, the post read, the CJP would collect suggestions from our 22 million+ community and turn the best ideas into focused campaigns.“Following that, we want to work towards collect
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical political campaign ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), has said he fears being arrested the moment he lands in Delhi. Dipke, whose CJP has taken the internet by storm, is currently based in the US, where he studied public relations.Dipke, 30, spoke to independent news platform Red Mike and said he plans to return to India next month. "I just had my graduation day. I am planning to be back in India next month. And going by the pattern, I am sure that the moment I land at Delhi airport, I will be taken by Delhi Police and taken to Tihar," Dipke told Saurabh Shukla in the interview.Dipke's remarks came soon after Cockroach Janta Party's X handle, with over 200,000 followers, was withheld on 21 May, five days after it was formed. The campaign created a new handle with a different name ‘Cockroach is Back’ which has got about 144k followers within 24 hours.‘National security concerns’The action against the earlier handle by Union government came after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) raised “national security concerns”,The Indian Expressreported today, citing a senior government official.According to the report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked X to withhold the satirical accountunder Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The official added that the input to do so came from IB, as the central agency cited a threat to the sovereignty of India.Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act empowers the Central government to direct intermediaries (such as internet service providers, social media platforms, and web hosts) to block public access to online information or websites.The CJP campaign came in response to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, during oral observation, allegedly described young, unemployed Indians as ‘cockroaches.’The meteoric rise of satirical digital outfit CJP on social media has left the parents of its founder, overwhelmed by fears that he could land in trouble or even face arrest.The outfit, now popular as CJP, has garnered over 19 million followers on Instagram since it was founded barely a week ago by Boston University student Dipke. The CJP's Instagram follower count has surpassed mainstream political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress party.Parents lost sleepDipke's parents Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told a Marathi news channel on 21 May that they were not keen on letting their son enter politics. The parents said they have lost their sleep after learning about Abhijeet's move.Cockroach Janata Party, according to Dipke, was born following a controversy over Chief Justice of India Surya Kant using the terms "parasites" and "cockroaches" while pulling up a lawyer for his plea seeking senior designation.Though the CJI later clarified that he was misquoted and his remarks were directed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession through "fake and bogus degrees", the CJP, with the insect as its symbol, took the social media by storm."If we look at politics nowadays, fear is natural, no matter how many followers he has. In one of his interviews, he himself expressed fear of being arrested after returning to India. We read about such incidents in newspapers," said Bhagwan Dipke.Abhijeet's mother Anita said she would want her son to stay away from politics and instead focus on getting a job."We just want him to come home safely. Whether he continues in politics will be his decision, but we do not want him to pursue it. I do not know whether he will listen to us or not. I will not support him in this. I am worried about him," she said.Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janta Party has been facing casteist remarks on social media after he revealed he was a Dalit in a tweet on Thursday.I hope that will answer all your questions.While there has been a massive support for CJP, some users on social media asked if it will remain a satire o
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