In a sharp turn, Ajinkya Shinde has been thrust into the spotlight as the Cockroach Janta Party's new face of resistance after the party's founding trio were nabbed aboard a Mumbai‑bound flight.
Police seized Dipke, Das, and Ranka as they attempted to board the aircraft, a move critics label an attempt to silence dissent ahead of the Delhi protest scheduled for the weekend.
The 35‑year‑old, a former AAP worker and computer‑science graduate, has long been a close associate of Dipke, serving as the party’s convener for Pimpri‑Chinchwad and later as a national organiser.
In a pre‑recorded video, Dipke handed the baton to Shinde, urging him to rally supporters at Jantar Mantar and to turn any police stop into a makeshift protest site.
Shinde’s call has already mobilised crowds converging on the capital’s iconic plaza, with police on high alert to mediate potential clashes; a farmer from Alibaug, whose son works as Shinde’s campaign aide, said he will march next week.