CJP resists lure of election after rattling Modi

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR, Aug 4: India's Gen-Z Cockroach Janta Party, whose recent protest against exam paper leaks claimed a rare ministerial scalp, has no immediate plans to enter electoral politics, its founder told Reuters on Tuesday.
Abhijeet Dipke spearheaded demonstrations that spread nationwide from Delhi, forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's education minister to resign, and spotlighting young people's worries about high jobless rates despite rapid economic growth.
"We want to consult Gen Z on the issues they want us to focus on," Dipke said in an interview at his home in the western state of Maharashtra, adding that supporters would meet for two days from Wednesday to decide their next steps.
"The purpose will be to form the agenda for the Cockroach Janta Party and discuss how we can take this social movement forward," said Dipke, as he posed for photographs with visitors streaming into his two-storey family home.
He ruled out an immediate move into electoral politics, but said he would consider forming a party if "a majority of the people" wanted it, contesting elections later in response to public demand.
"In India, I don't think that forming a political party is a solution right now," Dipke added. "What India needs is a public movement which will fight to bring back the trust and accountability in all the institutions."
For now, he said, the CJP's focus would be on amplifying the concerns of young Indians, many of whom he said had lost faith in the country's politicians, courts and media.
"It's really important to consult these young people and understand what they actually need," added Dipke, who was recovering from typhoid caught during the sit-in protest in Delhi.
After the 36-day protest, Dipke returned to his home town of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to be greeted by hundreds of supporters carrying bouquets lined up on the floor of his home.
Since his return in June following studies in the United States, Dipke become a sensation after his call to protest against medical exam leaks drew tens of thousands of young people into the streets of Delhi last month.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25 after tear gas and baton charges failed to break up the protest movement.�"REUTERS