New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar entered its second day on Sunday, with hundreds of supporters reiterating demands for Education Minister of India Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak and alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
The protesters, largely comprising students and young job aspirants, accused the government of failing to ensure fair and transparent conduct of entrance and recruitment examinations. Demonstrators called for accountability in cases of paper leaks, examination cancellations and alleged administrative lapses that they said had affected the futures of millions of students.
Addressing the gathering, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the movement was aimed at highlighting issues faced by students and job seekers across the country. He also spoke against religious polarisation, arguing that divisions between communities had not benefited ordinary citizens.
Dipke mocked allegations made by BJP leaders linking him to billionaire investor George Soros, joking that the purported funding had only been enough to arrange a single speaker for the event. He also said his family had expressed concerns about his return to India, fearing possible legal action against him.
The protest site witnessed slogans demanding Pradhan’s resignation, while participants carried placards criticising the education ministry’s handling of entrance examinations. Many protesters wore cockroach masks, the symbol adopted by the party, and some offered flowers to security personnel deployed at the venue.
Among those attending was Lakshay Verma, a college student from Rajasthan, who said students deserved justice and accountability in the wake of repeated examination controversies.
Teachers and education activists also joined the protest. Prabha Singh, a teacher, said students spend years preparing for highly competitive examinations only to face uncertainty due to paper leaks and other irregularities.
The Cockroach Janta Party, founded in May this year by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke, emerged after remarks comparing unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites” triggered widespread debate online.
The demonstration marks one of the party’s first major attempts to translate its online popularity into a sustained public campaign, centred on demands for examination reforms, accountability for paper leaks and greater transparency in the conduct of competitive tests.
