Kolkata: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has levelled serious allegations against the BJP after its planned event in Kolkata on Tuesday evening had to be cancelled.
According to CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, the hall owners backed out due to “threats from BJP leaders” and “massive pressure from the state.”
Ranka wrote in a post on X, “Our scheduled Kolkata Meet-Up at Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata has now been cancelled after the owners received threats from BJP leaders.”
An alternative venue could not be arranged as “6 other halls refused stating massive pressure from the state”, claimed Ranka.
“This only reinforces the fact that the BJP is scared of the cockroaches. And while we will indeed miss out on interacting with the lovely Cockroaches of Bengal, we promise to make up for it with a much bigger event very soon.”
Ranka stressed that “Cockroaches of Bengal will continue to visit govt schools and push the Bengal govt to get them fixed. The more you stop us, the bigger we become.”
The CJP has undertaken a ‘school thik karo’ (fix the schools) campaign in several states including West Bengal. CJP activists across the country have been documenting and sharing videos of neglected government-run educational institutions, particularly in rural and remote regions, on social media.
The CJP has already threatened to launch agitations in West Bengal after one of its volunteer’s father died after being attacked by assailants on August 13.
Abdul Hafiz, who had participated in the Jantar Mantar protest, visited a primary government school to inspect its conditions as part of CJP’s school thik karo campaign. That night, a group of people raided his house and allegedly attacked family members with sticks, iron rods and crowbars.
Hafiz managed to flee from the house after being assaulted, but the mob then attacked his father, who died while undergoing treatment.
The CJP claimed that the assailants were “BJP goons”, and gave the state administration a 10-day ultimatum to arrest all those involved in the murder, or else it will gherao the Bankura District Magistrate’s office.