New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party has officially relieved its spokesperson, Vijeta Dahiya, of all organizational duties following widespread public backlash over viral video footage showing him inside a fast-food outlet during the party’s recent ‘Chalo Sansad’ march in New Delhi. In an official communication released on social media platform X, the CJP strongly condemned Dahiya’s conduct, describing his presence at the outlet as deeply insensitive and wholly inconsistent with the movement’s core values, particularly at a time when peaceful demonstrators and party volunteers were experiencing severe confrontations with security forces on the streets.
The controversy, dubbed the “Burger Bawal” online, erupted after video clips circulated across social media platforms showing Dahiya at a Burger King establishment located inside a nearby mall while party supporters engaged in street demonstrations. The optics worsened after a secondary video surfaced depicting a student activist directly confronting Dahiya inside the premises, questioning his absence from the active protest site. The rapid spread of the footage triggered intense criticism online, with observers and party followers raising concerns regarding leadership presence and solidarity during high-stakes public demonstrations.
Addressing the controversy via a self-recorded video on Instagram, Dahiya defended his actions, explaining that he had been actively managing organizational work for the movement over six weeks and had gone extended periods without sleep. He stated that he had fully participated in the scheduled march and only left the site after believing the primary demonstration had concluded. Responding directly to critics, Dahiya asserted that he receives no monetary compensation for his participation in public causes and questioned why consuming food during a exhausting day had become a subject of intense scrutiny, maintaining that he felt no requirement to apologize for addressing basic personal needs.
Despite Dahiya’s public clarification, the party leadership acted swiftly to enforce disciplinary measures to preserve organizational credibility and align with public expectations. Meanwhile, political engagement surrounding the broader student agitation remains active at Jantar Mantar. Prominent opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party figures Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, visited the demonstration site to interact with injured student activists, expressing solidarity with their demands for examination reforms and promising to highlight their grievances within legislative forums.
