India
oi-Swastika Sruti
Vijeta Dhaiya – former Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson, days after his removal from the post has finally spoken over how he felt. He said that it was heartbreaking.
Former Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson Vijeta Dhaiya expressed heartbreak over his removal due to a “burger issue,” claiming he was made a scapegoat despite active protest participation and facing threats, and alleged targeting by ‘Manuwadi’ groups over spiritual comments.
Sharing a video on his Instagram account, Dhaiya claimed that he was actively participating in the protest from the beginning but was shocked when Abhijeet and others asked him not to come to the protest site over his burger issue.
According to him, he was made the “scapegoat” despite spending sleepless nights at the protest site and facing alleged heckling, threats and police action.
Dhaiya said, “Honestly, My Heart Broke”
Asked how he felt after being removed from the CJP, Dhaiya admitted that the decision deeply affected him.
“To be honest, my heart broke.”
He said the day had been emotionally exhausting, with several incidents unfolding one after another.
According to Dhaiya, while travelling between Jantar Mantar and his home, he was allegedly heckled by a group of people at a Metro station. Later, when he returned to the protest site in the evening, the situation reportedly escalated into pushing and shoving.
“I received several calls from friends asking whether I was safe and whether I was alright. Many people sent me messages expressing solidarity,” he said.
I Thought They Were Calling To Support Me
Dhaiya recalled that he later received a call from CJP leaders Abhijeet and Ashutosh while he was getting ready to return to the protest site.
Initially, he believed they were calling to encourage him.
“I thought they were calling to tell me not to worry and that they were standing with me.”
Instead, he said, they told him not to come back.
“I asked them what had happened, and they said, ‘Your burger issue has become a problem.'”
I Was Guarding The Protest Site
Rejecting criticism over the viral burger photograph, Dhaiya said it did not reflect his contribution to the movement.
He claimed he had spent the previous two nights at Jantar Mantar because there were fears of a possible police crackdown.
“I was not sitting idle for even a minute. I was guarding the protest site.”
He added that although the planned protest march was delayed, volunteers decided to remain at the venue to ensure it was not vacated. Later, he joined the march along with fellow protesters Sheetal and Saurav, who were on a hunger strike.
According to Dhaiya, he later reached another location near Kerala House, where he experienced burning eyes, which he believed was caused by tear gas.
I Defended Abhijeet Over Kachori Troll
Dhaiya said he was surprised when party leaders informed him that videos related to him had gone viral.
He claimed that whenever his colleagues came under criticism, he publicly defended them.
“I defended Abhijeet when people criticised him for eating kachori. Even when people questioned why he climbed onto a truck, I reminded everyone that he was also slapped during the protest.”
He argued that many protesters, including himself, had faced threats, heckling and alleged police action, and it was unfair to blame individual members for everything that happened during the demonstrations.
I Was Made The Scapegoat
The former spokesperson said what hurt him the most was discovering that people within his own team had allegedly distanced themselves from him.
“When I was trying to debunk misinformation, I realised that my own teammates had made me the scapegoat.”
He said that while the trolling over the burger video was painful, it was even more disappointing that the party chose to remove him despite his involvement in the protest.
Alleges He Was Targeted By “Manuwadi” Groups
Dhaiya also claimed that many of the people confronting him were not genuine protesters but individuals he described as “Manuwadi”.
According to him, they were angry over his earlier comments about spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj.
He reiterated his stand, saying:
“I had said that Premanand is not ‘Maharaj’ for me, and I stand by that even today.”
He further added that he would not compare any contemporary spiritual figure with revered Hindu deities.
“If someone compares people like Asaram with Lord Ram or Lord Krishna, I cannot accept them as Maharaj.”
According to Dhaiya, the backlash over those remarks eventually became part of the larger controversy surrounding him. The Cockroach Janta Party has not publicly responded to Dhaiya’s latest claims.
