Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat meets Abhijeet Dipke’s parents, promises security

Sanjay Shirsat is the first leader from Maharashtra’s Mahayuti government to visit Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke's parents.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 27, 2026 04:56 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).

Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat met the parents of Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Sunday and promised that their son would get official security cover, a day after its agitation was called off following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union education minister.

”Abhijeet will return to his hometown in the next two to three days. When he arrives in Maharashtra, I will personally make a special request to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to provide him with official security so that no threat is posed to his life,” the Shiv Sena leader said after meeting Dipke’s parents at their Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar home.

Shirsat is the first leader from the Mahayuti government to communicate with Dipke’s parents. The government had drawn fire from students and political leaders after a leader from a Mahayuti alliance partner described the protesting students as terrorists. Dipke had condemned the comments.

Explanation for the ‘delayed’ visit

Shirsat, who is also the district guardian minister for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, sought to explain why he did not visit Dipke’s parents during the agitation. ”We have family relations with the Dipke family. I did not visit during the protests to ensure the matter was not given a political turn. Now, I have come to inquire about Abhijeet’s health, and the government will take proper care of him,” he said.

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

Reacting to the minister’s visit to their home, Abhijeet’s father Bhagwan Dipke said, “During the protests, many leaders called me and visited our home. But I kept wondering why the guardian minister—with whom I worked for 15 years—was neither visiting nor calling me. However, he came personally today and answered that question.”

Stating that the family was happy at the minister’s visit, Bhagwan Dipke said, ”The minister’s reasoning that coming here during the protest would have led to political capitalisation felt right to me. I am very happy that he visited our home today. Abhijeet will return in two to three days, and it will be appropriate to discuss the future direction and stance of the movement only after he arrives.”

Shirsat accused Opposition parties of trying to take advantage of the CJP’s agitation, while claiming that the movement succeeded because of the central government’s “very positive stance”.

Story continues below this ad

“However, through this protest and Abhijeet, many political leaders and parties worked to bake their own political potatoes. In the INDIA bloc, there was a race ongoing among alliance members to claim credit for the Delhi protests,” the minister added.

For over a month, the CJP protested in Delhi over the NEET question paper leak and other irregularities in competitive exams.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
Cockroach Janta Party

Loading Recommendations...

Aug 11: Latest News

Live Blog