After the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s partying videos went viral on social media, activist Sonam Wangchuk weighed in, warning the leaders to "celebrate responsibly".
"Victory must be accompanied by humility," said Wangchuk. He called on the supporters to celebrate "with dignity, restraint, and responsibility."
His remarks came amid a fierce debate on social media over visuals of the CJP's core members dancing and celebrating Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister hours after calling off their protest.
Wangchuk had joined the CJP-led students' protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi last month. He had gone on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of the education minister and seeking exam reforms following the NEET paper leak.
Wangchuk was forcibly shifted by Delhi Police to Safdarjung Hospital citing a HC order expressing concerns over his health on July 18.
He had ended his 26-day indefinite hunger strike on July 23 after the Centre assured him that no action would be taken against the student protesters and that the families of NEET aspirants would receive adequate compensation.
Celebration videos spark debate
The CJP's celebration videos have triggered a storm of criticism online. Some social media users argued that the celebrations were insensitive given the nature of the movement, as it was driven by the suicides of students after the NEET-UG paper leak.
Others accused the CJP leadership of celebrating while many of its protesters continue to face arrests in several states.
Amid the backlash, CJP spokesperson Saurva Das said that the videos reflected the spirit of the younger generation.
"We can sit on the road for as long as it takes. We can protest while dancing. We can organise while sipping cold coffee," Das wrote on X on Monday.
"That's just how this generation is," he added.
He further added that the government and some television anchors "simply do not understand the language of Gen Z and younger generations."
"The CJP leadership throwing a victory party at a hotel! After Delhi witnessed days of violence, these so-called youth activists switched on the music and began dancing," SC advocate Mahesh Jethmalani wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Das rejected claims that the event was extravagant.
"One thing I want to make clear: whenever such visuals come, people tend to exaggerate a lot. It wasn't a five-star hotel. It was two-star or maybe three max," he said.
According to Das, the gathering was held in a basement hall to honour around 150 to 200 volunteers. He said women had travelled from across states to spend 37 days on the road during the protests.
