Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was slapped and manhandled during a protest in Jaipur [1].

The incident highlights the volatility surrounding youth grievances in India, where peaceful demonstrations against government administration often escalate into physical confrontations.

Dipke was leading a peaceful protest at the Shaheed Smarak venue on Monday, June 10, 2024 [2, 3]. The gathering focused on alleged NEET paper leaks and rising unemployment. During the event, two men slapped Dipke [4]. While some reports indicate he was slapped multiple times, other accounts suggest a single strike occurred [1, 5].

Dipke later condemned the assault, saying that such actions are a sign of fear and cowardice. He said he would not be intimidated by the attack.

"Cowards resort to violence," Dipke said [6].

"Physical attacks show fear and cowardice," Dipke said [7].

One of the assailants, identified as a youth, justified the attack by claiming that Dipke was misleading other young people. The man said that the issue of paper leaks is just an excuse [8].

Dipke described the assault as a deliberate attempt to intimidate his political movement and silence the demands of the students. Despite the confrontation, the CJP founder maintained that the movement would continue to seek accountability for the exam irregularities.

“"Cowards resort to violence."”

The assault on Dipke reflects the deep polarization among India's youth regarding the NEET examination process and employment opportunities. By framing the protest as a 'misleading' exercise, the attackers signal a divide between those demanding systemic reform and those who view such activism as politically motivated. The incident underscores the risks faced by grassroots leaders attempting to mobilize Gen Z voters around public-sector transparency.