'Students are not terrorists': CJP founder Dipke asks govt to stop targeting protesters

NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday urged the government to stop targeting students who participated in the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak, saying they were "not terrorists" but "the future of the country."Speaking to reporters at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport after returning from Delhi, Dipke claimed that students in several states were being harassed by police even after the protests concluded."The government should behave well now. The blood of students was spilled on the streets on July 20 during the March to Parliament. Wasn't that enough? Even now, students are being troubled. In many states, police are visiting the houses of students and threatening them with arrests," he alleged, PTI cited.'Students won the agitation'Dipke returned to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after spending nearly 36 days at Jantar Mantar, where the CJP led protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. He claimed the agitation eventually grew into a nationwide movement and resulted in the resignation of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan."I am coming home after almost 40 days. Since I came to India, the agitations were on. Then I was at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for almost 36 days. The agitation turned out to be successful and the country's students won. I am happy that I will now meet my parents," he said.'If government doesn't fall in line, we'll change it'Warning the government against taking student protests lightly, Dipke said the resignation of a Union minister should not be seen as the end of the movement."These students are not terrorists. They are the future of our country. If the future of the country is treated like this, then just as Dharmendra Pradhan had to step down, tomorrow we will go and change the government if it doesn't fall in line," he said.He added that the government should not assume students' anger had subsided following the minister's resignation."If needed, we will launch a fresh agitation on a much bigger scale," Dipke said.Responding to a question, Dipke also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he should resign and become "an influencer," claiming it was "something he is very good at."Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.