Diljit Dosanjh Responds to CJP Criticism, Abhijeet Dipke Calls for End to Dispute

Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh has responded to criticism over his earlier comments on political protests, telling concertgoers that nobody should teach Punjabis how to fight. His remarks came during a performance at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, amid an ongoing disagreement with Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Addressing the audience, Dosanjh described himself as an artist rather than a politician and said, “Don’t teach Punjabis how to fight.” The comments were seen as an indirect response to the controversy surrounding his earlier position on the CJP-led protests over the alleged NEET examination paper leak.

The disagreement dates back to June, when Dosanjh reportedly said during an Instagram Live session that he was an artist and did not want to involve himself in political protests. His remarks attracted criticism from Dipke, who questioned the singer’s decision to distance himself from the demonstrations. Dosanjh also referred to the challenges faced by his film Satluj, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. He indicated that the team had worked for a considerable period to bring the project to audiences, amid criticism surrounding the film.

Following the Delhi concert, Dipke took to Instagram with a conciliatory message, acknowledging that Dosanjh’s earlier comments had hurt him. However, he said he continued to admire the singer and recognised his contribution to promoting Punjabi music and Indian culture internationally.

Dipke also recalled attending one of Dosanjh’s concerts in Chicago and praised his ability to take Punjabi music to audiences across the world. Ending his message with the Punjabi expression “Mitti pao”, he appealed to the singer to put the disagreement behind them and consider him a younger brother.