“Why Reactive and Not Proactive”: Netizens Call Out the Hypocrisy of CJP Leaders After Their Absence from the Jharkhand Protest

ON JULY 25, 2026, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest shocked everyone as former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. After the protest ended, public demonstrations subsided, and many of those who had participated in the protest for several days returned to their daily lives. However, this did not mark the end of the movement. Since then, people in different states have continued their fight against the education system over repeated paper leaks and alleged irregularities. One such protest began in Jharkhand on July 29, 2026. Students there began protesting against alleged irregularities and paper leaks in state examinations.

The students in Jharkhand were protesting against the alleged wrongdoing and paper leaks in two state examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). They have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter. The protest is taking place at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, with student leaders sitting on an indefinite hunger strike. 

See Also: From 'Nahi Rahe Dharmendra Pradhan Education Minister' to an Ode to CJI Surya Kant for His Controversial 'Cockroach' Statement That Started It All—Here Are the Top 5 Dharmendra Pradhan Resignation Memes

Amid this protest, students online have started criticising the CJP leaders for their absence from the protest and accusing them of hypocrisy for presenting themselves as a national student movement while staying away from the Ranchi protest. After a long silence, the leaders recently announced that they would go to Ranchi to stand with the students. However, videos of protesting students are now going viral, with many saying they do not want CJP leaders to come.

Why Are Students Criticising CJP Over the Jharkhand Protest?

The story of the alleged hypocrisy and students' anger began after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke gave an interview to columnist Sanket Upadhyay on his show Double Check. Sanket asked why students had been requesting Dipke to join their protest for a long time and why he had still not gone.

In response, Dipke said that after spending so many days protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, they were all exhausted and unwell and therefore needed a break. He named CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh, saying that both were sick after the protest and needed time to recover.

According to claims circulating on social media, this narrative soon collapsed when the leaders were seen travelling to Dipke's house in Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra. Many questioned what they described as hypocrisy, saying that they were "too sick" to travel to Jharkhand but were able to travel to Dipke's house. Videos showed the leaders interacting with each other, hugging, and meeting supporters outside his residence.

Later, while addressing a press conference on the Ranchi protest, Dipke said, "Definitely, we will go to Jharkhand. We stand with the students protesting there. We support their every demand." He further added that the country needs a pressure group and that CJP would work as one to bring change in the country and demand accountability from institutions.

See Also: Reporter’s Diary of Cockroach Janata Party Protest at Jantar Mantar

Public Reaction to CJP Leaders' Absence from the Jharkhand Protest Over JPSC and JSSC Exams

The protesters appeared highly agitated, after videos showing the leaders hugging and meeting each other have gone viral on social media. One X user wrote, "Sick for Jharkhand's scammed students, but healthy for internal house parties!" Many also said that whenever people question the leaders about why things are not happening, they always respond by saying they are sick. Others questioned why so much attention was being given to them in the first place.

Another person explained the sequence of events, "Yesterday evening, Abhijeet Dipke said Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh were too sick to attend the Jharkhand JPSC protest. By 10 PM, they had flown to Maharashtra to meet him. Time for flights and meetings, but no time for Jharkhand students. CJP's 'activism' is getting exposed badly." 

Another user wrote, "Jharkhand students are now asking Dipke and CJP not to come to the protest. We want to protest in a peaceful and non-abusive way, so please Abhijeet Dipke, do not come here and ruin our efforts of the last 10 days." Another person commented, "Why did the entire media have to push you to go to Jharkhand? Why reactive and not proactive?"

Many people on social media also wrote, "Yeah, they will go once the protest in Jharkhand is over." Another user questioned the absence of the other CJP leaders, writing, "Talk about that when you have reached there. None from the top gang has reached to support students in Jharkhand. If you are down with typhoid, then where are @SauravDassss @AshutoshRanka @whattalawyer @NehaBora_CJP? Are all of them also suffering from typhoid?"

(Proofread by Vaishnavi Sivadasan)

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