'Cockroach a dirty insect, crushed easily': Haryana minister Anil Vij advises CJP to change name

AMBALA: Haryana energy, transport and labour minister Anil Vij on Sunday defended his recent post on X, describing a cockroach as a "dirty insect" that even a child would crush with a slipper, while advising a political outfit named "Cockroach Janata Party" to change its name.

He reiterated that democracy grants every individual the right to protest and express opinions, but suggested that the office-bearers of the ‘Cockroach Janata Party' should consider adopting a different name.

Reacting to comments made by Haryana leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda regarding the convening of the Haryana assembly session, Vij said: "They either remain absent during assembly proceedings, or stage a walkout when ministers or the chief minister begin replying to issues."

He said: "The Congress has nothing meaningful to say. Their only concern is getting publicity. They just want their names to appear in newspapers, whether the coverage is positive or negative."

Responding to questions regarding the reported detention of Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, Vij rejected allegations of political targeting. "Why would we harm them? The responsibility of law enforcement agencies is to protect life and property," he said.

In a further jibe at the Congress leadership, Vij added that it was because of their actions that the people of Haryana continued to elect the BJP to power. "It is due to their conduct that the people of Haryana allow us to form the govt. Why would we want to harm them?" he said.

The CJP held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday, drawing participants from multiple states, according to the organisers. The protest included speeches by students, teachers and activists, who raised concerns over the Centre's handling of education-related issues.

On Sunday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked the "thousands" who took part in the demonstration and said the agitation would continue if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was not removed from office or did not resign within seven days.

(With Agency Inputs)