Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has reportedly been invited to join the Republican Party of India (A) by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, who said the young activist could help further the ideals of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The RPI (A) is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. Dipke has not yet responded to the offer. He has previously said that he has no plans to enter electoral politics and wants the CJP to remain a public movement.
Athawale invites Dipke to join politics
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Athawale said Dipke should consider joining his party and contribute to strengthening society and the organisation.
“I think Abhijeet Dipke is an Ambedkarite. He is active and young. He should consider joining Republic Party of India (A),” he said, reported Hindustan Times.
Athawale also said the government believes action should be taken against those who commit wrongdoing, while urging Dipke to join the ruling alliance.
Also Read | Ram Temple donation row: Big relief for Champat Rai as SIT report clears him
“We are a government that believes people should be punished if they do wrong. So, he should join the ruling faction,” Athawale said.
His comments came against the backdrop of protests led by the CJP and students at Jantar Mantar last month. The demonstrations were linked to the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and other examination-related irregularities and were followed by the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Dipke has ruled out electoral politics
Dipke has previously rejected the idea of turning the CJP into a political party. Earlier this month, he said people were losing confidence in politics and the election process.
“We have no such intention. We are seeing how political parties are being split using the ED and CBI. Votes are being deleted in elections. At this point, when people have lost faith in politics, what will we do by forming a political party?” he said in an interview with ANI.
He also argued that the country needed a broader public movement.
“The way people are losing faith in the judiciary, election system and even the media, this country needs a public movement.”
CJP launches school campaign
Dipke, 30, recently launched the “School Thik Karo” campaign from his native village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district.
Also Read | Abhijeet Dipke launches 'School Thik Karo' campaign on I-Day
The campaign focuses on conditions in government schools and calls for better basic facilities for children as well as a cap on private school fees. Dipke urged sarpanches and parents to take up the “social and moral responsibility” of improving education facilities.
He alleged that government schools in villages had been “neglected and ignored” for decades and questioned the continuing gap between facilities available to rural and urban students.