CJP alleges BJP 'threats', state 'pressure' led to Kolkata meet-up cancellation; says six halls refused venue

Key points

• "Our scheduled Kolkata Meet-Up at Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata has now been cancelled after the owners received threats…
• 15-20 people were involved in the incident, but only four have so far been arrested.
• CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said that Abdul Hafiz was a true patriot.
• CJP leader Asutosh Ranka made the allegations in a post on X, claiming that the event at Bharat Sabha Hall…

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Tuesday alleged that its Kolkata meet-up was cancelled after BJP leaders allegedly threatened the venue owners, claiming that six other halls also declined to host the event citing “massive pressure” from the state administration.

The West Bengal BJP, however, denied the charges as baseless.

CJP leader Asutosh Ranka made the allegations in a post on X, claiming that the event at Bharat Sabha Hall was cancelled after the venue owners were allegedly threatened.

“Our scheduled Kolkata Meet-Up at Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata has now been cancelled after the owners received threats from BJP leaders. 6 other halls refused, stating massive pressure from the state,” Ranka posted on X.

What happened

He claimed the developments demonstrated that the BJP was “scared” of the CJP and assured supporters that the organisation would soon return with a larger event.

“This only reinforces the fact that the BJP is scared of the cockroaches. And while we will indeed miss out on interacting with the lovely Cockroaches of Bengal, we promise to make up for it with a much bigger event highly soon. Most importantly, Cockroaches of Bengal will continue to visit govt schools and push the Bengal govt to get them fixed. The more you stop us, the bigger we become,” he said.

The BJP, however, denied the charges as baseless.

“The allegations by CJP are baseless and fabricated. We believe in a democratic set-up,” a state BJP leader said.

The details

The CJP has also raised four demands in connection with the death of the father of CJP volunteer Sheikh Abdul and the alleged attack on his family.

The organisation has sought adequate security for Abdul’s family and demanded the arrest of all those allegedly involved in the attack.

According to the CJP, 15-20 people were involved in the incident, but only four have so far been arrested. It has demanded that all the accused be arrested.

Our scheduled Kolkata Meet-Up at Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata has now been cancelled after the owners received threats from BJP leaders. 6 other halls refused stating massive pressure from the state.

This only reinforces the fact that the BJP is scared from the…

— Ashutosh Ranka (@AshutoshRanka) August 18, 2026

The organisation has also stated its representatives would stay at Abdul’s home and stand by his family. It had offered financial compensation to the family, but according to the CJP, the family instead demanded that a school be built in Abdul’s father’s name.

Why it matters

The CJP has also unveiled plans to raise funds online in Abdul’s name and appealed to students and youths to contribute to the fund.

Meanwhile, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said that Abdul Hafiz was a true patriot.

Speaking to reporters at a village in Hingoli district where he visited a school as part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign, he said Hafiz had participated in the Jantar Mantar agitation over the NEET paper leak scandal.

“Then he went to his village in West Bengal. Like I am visiting schools here, he visited a school there. Some goons of BJP tried to beat him. But his father tried to save him and suffered severe injuries,” Dipke alleged.

Background

Dipke said he broke down during a video call with Abdul, but the latter stated they must carry on their fight.

He would continue visiting schools in his area and get them repaired, Abdul informed him.

CJP leaders on Monday gave the West Bengal administration 10 days to arrest all those allegedly involved in the case, and demanded a court-monitored probe into the role of local police.