In its debut political protest, CJP demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
NEW DELHI — The nascent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), hitherto existing only online, went overground on Saturday by organising a huge protest at the iconic Jantar Mantar in the national capital. In its debut event, the party vociferously demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination-related lapses.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical online party, reached the capital city from the United States as per plan and joined the protest to “lead this movement with love and peace,” as he said in his post on X.
Education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the protest with Abhijeet Dipke and thousands of others. He strongly backed the youth-led protest under the CJP banner.
The crowd had started assembling at the protest site in the morning and continued to swell throughout the day. Delhi Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in large numbers across key locations in the national capital as CJP members began their protest.
School students, college-goers, competitive exam aspirants, and parents were among those who gathered at Jantar Mantar, with many expressing their concerns over the faulty education system.
Several participants who spoke to the Press Trust of India (PTI) said recurring controversies around examinations, uncertainty over results, and a lack of accountability from authorities have shaken their confidence in the system. Some also expressed disappointment with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition parties, saying issues affecting young people are not receiving adequate attention.
For some participants, the issues go beyond examinations and reflect broader concerns about opportunities available to youngsters.
Abhjeet Dipke shared the visuals from the protest held at Jantar Mantar in an X post, saying “they said cockroaches will never come on the ground…”
He said his mother worried for him as he returned home to India, fearing that he would be arrested. “My mother was very scared that this government would throw me in jail. In this country, every mother feels this fear when their child raises their voice against this government,” he said.
Dipke has also threatened to launch a countrywide protest if Education Minister Pradhan doesn’t resign, The Indian Express reported. He also said that protests would be organised across several cities during the next week and also announced plans for another major demonstration at Jantar Mantar next Saturday.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar has extended support to the agitation led by CJP against alleged irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations.
In a statement, Pawar said the overwhelming response to the protest reflected growing resentment among the country’s youth against the Centre’s policies and the alleged mismanagement of key examinations.
“The unprecedented participation of young people in the agitation shows the simmering discontent among the youth. The irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations, along with several wrong policies of the Central government, have directly affected the younger generation and triggered widespread anger,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has also thrown his weight behind the GenZ-led protest under the banner of Cockroach Janata Party.
“Those whom we call the destiny-makers and future of the country — thousands of young people — have come out on the streets in the scorching heat, carrying their pain and worries about their future.
“It is not right to belittle them by calling them ‘cockroaches’ and deny them justice,” Thackeray said in a statement shared by party MP Sanjay Raut on X. — With inputs from PTI
