New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Deepke admitted that during the 'Sansad Chalo' march on July 20, he had become very angry with two big faces of his own party, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. In an interview given to BBC on Sunday, Deepke told what happened that day when the crowd was going out of control and both the spokespersons were missing.
BJP called, made me sit for 5 hours for a 10 minute meeting
According to Deepke, July 20 was the third day of his hunger strike. On the same day, BJP leaders called Saurav and Ashutosh for talks. Both went for the meeting.
Deepke said, “He was called, but was kept there for 5 hours, while the meeting lasted only 10 minutes.” Here at Jantar Mantar, a crowd of thousands was desperate to march towards Parliament, but there was no one to lead.
Phone switched off, crowd out of control, I unconscious
Deepke told that he called both of them several times, but the call did not go through. Due to the hunger strike he had no strength left in his body. Didn't have the courage to address the crowd.
He said, “I was very angry with both of them. I didn't have the energy to address the crowd and the crowd wanted to march.” Deepke told that he had become unconscious in the morning itself, hence was unable to walk and had to climb on a truck and join the march.
Didn't know the method of hunger strike
When asked whether he would have done anything differently that day, Deepke said he would have prevented both of them from going to the meeting. He admitted that he did not know the rules of the hunger strike. For the first two days, he continued giving speeches and talking to people, due to which his body completely broke down on the third day.
Deepke said, “In my ignorance, I did not know what to do during the hunger strike. I kept speaking the entire time, so on the third day, that is, the day of the march, I became very weak.” He says that if Saurav and Ashutosh were at Jantar Mantar, it would have been easier to handle the march and perhaps there would not have been a clash with the police.
What was the whole matter of 20th July?
The 'Sansad Chalo' march on July 20 was the climax of the 37-day-long agitation demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged rigging in NEET UG. The monsoon session of Parliament was starting on the same day.
During the march, there were several clashes between police and students at Jantar Mantar, Raisina Road, Janpath, Connaught Place, India Gate and near Parliament. Many students were also detained. Ultimately, after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25, CJP withdrew the movement.