Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has publicly apologised to singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh after the latter criticised him for mocking his film Satluj and questioning his response to the student protests over the NEET paper leak.
The apology came a day after Dosanjh addressed the controversy during his concert at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday.
Without naming Dipke or the CJP, Dosanjh told the audience that nobody should teach Punjabis how to fight. Referring to the criticism of his film Satluj, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, he said, “The film you are making fun of on stage, Jaswant Singh Khalra’s film — we fought for that film for a long time.”
“I love all of you. If someone hates us, it’s okay. But I love all of you,” he added.
Responding to the singer's remarks, Dipke shared an apology on Instagram, addressing Dosanjh as 'paaji' and asking him to forgive him as his younger brother.
Dipke said he had been hurt by Dosanjh's comments during the student protests in June, but maintained that he had always admired the singer.
“Paaji, back in June, when we were protesting, I was a little hurt by your comment. Not because I had anything against you personally, but because I have always seen you as someone who speaks up for the cause, just like you said yourself,” he wrote.
He said his admiration for Dosanjh had not changed and recalled attending his concert in Chicago in May.
Praising the singer's courage and authenticity, Dipke said he respected the way Dosanjh had taken India to the global stage while remaining connected to his roots.
“One disagreement or misunderstanding doesn’t change the respect and admiration I have for you,” he added.
Dipke ended his message with, “Baaki paaji, chhota bhai samajh ke mitti pao,” asking the singer to let the matter go.
The disagreement dates back to June, when Dosanjh was asked during an Instagram Live session whether he would join student protests at Jantar Mantar over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak.
The singer had responded by distancing himself from the protests, saying, “Keep me away from all this. Bro, I’m an artist. I’m no politician.”
His remarks drew criticism, with Dipke accusing him of hypocrisy, particularly in view of his role in Satluj, a film about Khalra, who highlighted alleged illegal killings and secret cremations in Punjab during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The film was briefly released on ZEE5 before being taken down within two days, with the government citing security concerns.
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