New Delhi [India], October 20 (ANI): Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke has urged supporters to remain calm and not let hatred consume them following the imprisonment of Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, saying the movement must continue on the path of peace, love and compassion.
In a video shared on X with the caption ‘Message to all cockroaches’, Dipke said the detentions had caused distress among supporters but stressed that they should not respond to alleged injustice with hatred or abandon their principles.
Message to all cockroaches https://t.co/9e5yI9Nst0
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 20, 2026
Dipke said, “Given what has happened to Sourav and Ashu, I know everyone is troubled; it is bothering me a lot as well. But remember one thing: we do not have to become what we hate. What is being done to them is wrong, completely unjust. But they want to divert us from the path of peace, love, and compassion that we chose. They harass us specifically to provoke us, so that we turn into people like them and respond with hate. But we will not do that. To prevent that, the most important thing is to surround yourself with your loved ones, people who care for you and whom you care about. Be with your families and do not let hatred consume you.”
Dipke also spoke about his conversation with Sourav Das's mother, recounting how she had reassured him and asked the team to take care of themselves despite her son's imprisonment.
He said Das had remained resilient and had come out of jail smiling.
“I spoke to Sourav’s mother. While I was the one who was supposed to offer her strength, his mother told me, 'Son, do not worry. Just tell the entire team to take care of themselves. Sourav is a fighter and he will be fine.' And Sourav is indeed fine. The way that fool came out smiling yesterday after spending five or six days in jail—I don't think anything can break him. Nothing can break him,” he said.
Recalling conversations among protesters at Jantar Mantar about how they would cope with imprisonment, Dipke said Das had previously joked that he would not be able to spend even a day in jail.
He said Das's conduct after spending six days in custody had challenged the perception that he was too privileged or soft to endure the movement.
“Back at Jantar Mantar, we used to joke about who would survive how many days if we went to jail. When others and I asked Sourav, he would say he wouldn't last even a single day. Yet here he is, having spent six days in jail, walking out with a smile on his face. I don't know what got into him! Remember how people used to mock Sourav for drinking cold coffee? People used to mock him, saying, 'He's so privileged, he can never achieve anything; he drinks Starbucks and cold coffee even at protests.' Yet that very same Sourav Das is now putting up a fight from inside prison. Those who dismissed him as too soft and incapable of enduring a battle should look at him now—he has been in jail for over six days, yet he enters the courtroom with a smile, without an ounce of fear,” he asserted.
Dipke credited Das and Ranka with playing a major role in carrying the movement forward, saying he had largely followed their instructions and relied on their decision-making.
He said, “I genuinely feel that if anyone truly carried this movement forward, it is Ashu and Sourav. Both played an immense role. To be completely honest, I was merely following their instructions. My role was simply to follow Ashu and Sourav's lead. From the outside, people might think I am the leader, but brother, I was not the leader, it was Sourav and Ashu. They would just tell me, ‘Tomorrow you have to go here, do this, do that,’ and I would quietly agree, because I know their capabilities and decision-making skills are far superior to mine. That is simply who they are."
He also spoke about Ranka's family, saying his uncle had died while he was in jail and that he could not attend the funeral rites.
Dipke said Ranka's mother had nevertheless urged the team not to worry about him and had expressed support for his fight.
“As I said, Sourav’s mother told everyone to take care and not worry about Sourav. I also spoke with Ashu’s family. Ashu’s uncle recently passed away while Ashu was in jail, so he couldn't attend the rites. His mother is currently with the family. I wanted to visit them, but his mother explained that there had been a bereavement. Even so, his mother insisted, do not worry about Ashu; whatever comes, we will face it. Ashu is fighting for what is right, and his mother and father stand firmly behind him,” Dipke stated.
Appealing to supporters who may be feeling disheartened, Dipke said the strength shown by the families of Das and Ranka had motivated him to continue, adding that their imprisonment would not intimidate the movement.
“Anyone who is feeling weak or disheartened right now: do not feel weak at all. Sourav, Ashu, and their families are the ones enduring all this firsthand, and having spoken to them, they are not weak in the slightest. At this moment, the strength I draw comes directly from Sourav and Ashu’s families. They are our greatest pillar of strength. The very people who might have been expected to break down are standing tall. In fact, they are the ones giving me strength and motivating me. Just because Sourav and Ashu have been jailed does not mean we will get scared. We will not be intimidated. Why should we be afraid? We are fighting for what is right; we are not doing anything wrong,” Dipke added.
Earlier on Monday, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were taken back to judicial custody from Mandir Marg Police Station in Delhi after their surety was rejected on Monday over a reported mismatch in documents, their lawyers said. Ratna Singh, Head of Legal Affairs at CJP, criticised the proceedings, alleging that liberty was being curtailed on vague grounds despite repeated attempts to complete the surety verification process.
“A mockery was going on in the Court. For the last six days, we have been saying that one or the other reason is being nitpicked - surety verification has not been done, that an FIR has been lodged against the surety. We saw someone’s liberty being curtailed,” Singh said.
On October 12, the Delhi Police arrested Das, Ranka and others for allegedly trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as a designated protest venue. Following their arrest, Das and Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody. (ANI)
