BHOPAL: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was heckled by a group of people claiming to be social media influencers during his visit to Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, with one of them questioning whether he had come to “do politics on corpses” following the deaths of tribal children in the region.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed Dipke apologising for visiting the area late.
Dipke had visited Adori, Korka and Bondari villages on Saturday to meet families of tribal children who allegedly died from infectious diseases and to assess the healthcare facilities available in the area.
In the video, a woman identifying herself as a social media influencer is seen approaching Dipke’s car and holding a microphone towards him. She questioned him about the purpose of his visit and asked why he had come to the area so late.
Dipke was heard apologising for the delay.
The woman also claimed that a good road had been constructed in the area and questioned Dipke about it.
The situation escalated as CJP workers accompanying Dipke shifted him to another vehicle and drove him away. As he left, the woman was heard saying that he had “run away”.
The incident comes against the backdrop of concerns over the deaths of more than 30 children in the region. The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently sought responses from the state government on the issue.
The court issued notices to the Health Department, Women and Child Development Department, Balaghat collector and others while hearing a PIL alleging inadequate treatment for children in the affected area.
The petitioner’s report claimed that around 400 children were being treated at a hospital with a capacity of only 50 beds. It also alleged poor sanitation and widespread filth in the area, linking the conditions to infections and continuing deaths among children.
Local journalists expressed surprise over the presence of the group of social media influencers from outside the remote villages and questioned whether they had been sent to disrupt Dipke’s visit. However, there was no immediate confirmation of such an allegation.