At Dipke home, mother marks ‘victory’, father says he will never join politics

'He will never go into politics': Abhijeet Dipke's parents celebrate CJP win

5 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 26, 2026 03:36 AM IST

Abhijeet Dipke met his parents during a visit home in June. (Express Photo)

Abhijeet Dipke with his mother Anita Dipke and father Bhagwan Shankar Dipke during a visit home in June (Express photo).

“Going to take a nap. See you all in a little while.”

At 4:32 pm on Saturday, Abhijeet Dipke posted on X two lines that would sound inane on any other day. But this wasn’t any other day — just two hours earlier, at 2:18 pm, Dharmendra Pradhan announced he was resigning from his post as Union Education Minister, capping a chapter that began with Dipke launching the Cockroach Janta Party on May 16.

Dipke had just finished his studies at Boston University when he heard about Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s May 15 remark appearing to compare unemployed youth to cockroaches. The CJP was born the very next day when he asked on X — “What if all cockroaches come together?” — and in less than a week, it had captured the imagination of lakhs online, particularly on Instagram, where the Jantar Mantar protests would eventually play out in real time.

“I had never imagined he would become so big,” his father, Bhagwan Shankar Dipke, told The Indian Express on Saturday.

But Dipke wasn’t content letting the CJP remain an online entity. On June 6, he returned to India; as he walked out of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Dipke, who is Dalit, held up a copy of the book Dr B R Ambedkar, My Autobiography.

By that time, the CJP already had over 20 million followers on Instagram. What would follow was the protest at Jantar Mantar which, amplified by activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite fast, quickly drew thousands from across the country and became a headache for the central government.

With the CJP calling for an end to the protest on Saturday, Bhagwan Shankar and his wife Anita feel a sense of relief. “For two-and-a-half months, the students have been fighting for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. This is victory,” said Anita, from their home in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, now called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. “Abhijeet has fought patiently. He was slapped and vilified. He has achieved so much at such a young age.”

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In the morning, Bhagwan Shankar, who retired as a civil engineer at Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, went to a temple in the nearby Pandharpur village and prayed for the country.

Anita said she last spoke to Dipke over a video call on Friday. He told her, “Mummy, thoda viral ho gaya.” She said that, initially, she “did not approve of what Abhijeet was doing”. “Then, I saw that he was fighting for students,” she said. His father chimed in, “Abhijeet will never go into politics.”

He added that nobody in their family has been in politics: “Not even a sarpanch.”

“My biggest dream for him was the civil services. I used to tell him that, if he cracked the UPSC exam, he would have a secure career,” he said.

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At the Dipke household, education has always been of paramount importance. Dipke, who has an elder sister, was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an engineer. He was a quiet, studious boy and did not give his parents reasons to worry. His father mentioned Abhijeet’s passion for cricket: “I had to stop his cricket. With so many cricketers around us in our country, what future did a middle-class boy have?”

Also Read | How Delhi’s Jantar Mantar found out about Pradhan’s resignation, and reacted

Dipke completed his schooling at Saraswati Bhuvan College in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and then enrolled at Sinhagad Institute in Pune for a degree in engineering. “Hamara ristedar vagairah, koi bhi nahin Pune mein. Sirf padhai ke liye usko bheja tha Pune mein (We have no relatives in Pune. It was only for his education that we sent him to Pune),” said Bhagwan Shankar.

But Dipke’s heart was not in engineering. “He wanted to study journalism. Being a civil engineer, I had knowledge of medical and engineering courses and colleges, but journalism was an entirely unknown territory,” said Bhagwan Shankar. Dipke enrolled at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth in Pune to study journalism and graduated in 2021, while simultaneously working for the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media platforms and as a communications advisor for the Delhi government’s education department.

“When he told me that he wanted to pursue further studies in Public Relations, I was close to retirement. I took an education loan and Abhijeet left to complete his post-graduation in Public Relations at Boston University’s College of Communication,” said Bhagwan Shankar. “I am still paying off his education loan.”

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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