Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has publicly expressed support for leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) following their arrest over a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The development has drawn attention to the relationship between the Congress and the group led by Abhijeet Dipke.
DON'T MISS
In a post on X on October 14, 2026, Rahul Gandhi condemned the detention of young protesters, stating that peacefully waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar was not a crime. He described jailing young people for such a protest as an act of cowardice and called for unity among students, youth, journalists and opposition groups demanding constitutional rights.
Rahul Gandhi Expresses Support for CJP Leaders
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks came after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody in connection with their protest at Jantar Mantar. Reports stated that the leaders were accused of trespassing at the site, which had been removed from the list of designated protest.
Although Gandhi did not explicitly name the CJP in his post, his criticism of the arrests was seen as a public show of support for the detained leaders.
Abhijeet Dipke Thanks Rahul Gandhi
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke responded to Gandhi’s statement by thanking him for speaking out against the arrests of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
The exchange marked a notable moment in the public interaction between the Congress leadership and the CJP, which have previously campaigned on some overlapping issues but generally maintained separate political approaches.
Will Rahul Gandhi and Abhijeet Dipke Move Closer Politically?
The public exchange has prompted questions about whether the Congress and the CJP could coordinate more closely on issues such as electoral processes, protest rights and youth concerns.
However, Gandhi’s statement does not establish a formal alliance or indicate that the two sides will share a political platform. The Congress and the CJP have previously pursued separate campaigns, even when raising similar concerns.
For now, the episode represents a public convergence over the arrests and the right to protest. Whether it leads to sustained political cooperation between Rahul Gandhi and Abhijeet Dipke remains uncertain.
