New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is staging a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations. The demonstration is being led by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Gen Z-led political outfit.
The protest comes amid mounting criticism of the Ministry of Education over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and concerns surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) system used for the evaluation and re-evaluation of Class 12 board examination answer sheets.
LIVE updates
6:00 pm: Three people who claimed to be members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) were detained on Saturday as they tried to burn an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during a protest in the Cantonment area in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, PTI reported.
The demonstrators held banners and placards denouncing the minister outside the Indira Bal Bihar, they said.
Around 11 am, the protesters allegedly began preparations to burn an effigy of Pradhan, when Station House Officer (Cantt) Sanjay Singh, accompanied by a police team, reached the spot and detained three of them.
Rajat Chaudhary, Mohammad Afzal and Ankit Kumar were taken to the police station, while others dispersed.
Proceedings under preventive provisions related to breach of peace have been initiated against the detained individuals, and further legal action is being taken, the police said.
4:10 pm: Abhijeet Dipke warned of nationwide protests if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by 5 pm. He reportedly said that protests would be held across states in the next week and declared another protest next Saturday at Jantar Mantar.
“Me aap sabke behalf par yeh announcement karta hu ki agar Dharmendra Pradhan paanch baje take resign nahi kiya gaya, toh yeh Andalou Pura desh me chalega. Aur angle shanivar Kaun Kaun phirse aayega. Jabtak Dharmendra Prasad resign nahi karte hame rukna nahi chahiye saathiyo (On behalf of all of you, I announce that if Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by 5 o’clock, this agitation will spread across the entire country. And who among you will return next Saturday? Comrades, we must not stop until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns).”
Dipke shared the live visuals from the protest on X, with the caption, “They said cockroaches will never come on the ground…”
Hindutva groups raise religious slogans, disrupt peaceful protest
3:59 pm: Hindutva groups arrived at Jantar Mantar, raising religious slogans, including “Jai Shri Ram,” in an attempt to disrupt the massive protest. The groups were heard issuing public threats, with many saying they came to “fail the protests completely.”
“Jai Shri Ram Bharat me nahi lagayinge toh kaha lagayinge (If Jai Shri Ram isn’t chanted in India, then where will it be)?”
3:48 pm: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly moved backstage and taken to a car after he felt sick due to the heat and crowd during the protest.
Students, parents express frustration with education system
3:29 pm: School students, college-goers, competitive exam aspirants and parents were among those who gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Saturday for a protest organised by the supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with many saying concerns over the education system had brought them to the demonstration.
Several students and youth explained their motivation for participating in the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar, expressing long-held frustration with the system.
A student told Newslaundry that taking part in the movement was particularly emotional, since her parents opposed her decision. “I have gone against my parents to come here. It was a really emotional moment in the morning when I was coming here. I told them this is my right to have an education, a basic necessity of every student. This is why I am here.”
Multiple participants told PTI 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) as well as the opposition parties, saying issues affecting young people are not receiving adequate attention. Parents accompanying children said the concerns extend beyond students.
2:48 pm: A mother who has joined the protest brought her daughter with her, stating she has come to demonstrate against the “failing” education system.
“Bilkul bekaar education system hai (The education system is absolutely useless),” she said, describing the hurdles her 13-year-old daughter faced in her eighth grade. According to her, there were multiple changes in the syllabus, which affected the students’ preparation during exams.
Cockroach Janta Party shared a video of the mother expressing disappointment with the country’s education system. “A mother’s anger, a daughter’s worry. This government should feel ashamed,” the post read.
Nusrat Parveen, who attended the protest with her three daughters, said she has seen the pressure students face while preparing for competitive examinations.
“My children are worried about their future and as a parent, I feel that pressure too,” she said.
Her daughters, Razda, a graduation student, and Iqra, who is in Class 11, said concerns over examinations and admissions have become a constant topic among students. “Education has become a way of earning money,” Razda said, while Iqra spoke of the uncertainty that lies ahead.
Their sister, Zikra Parveen, said students often map out their future plans based on expected results, only to be confronted with fresh uncertainty. “We had calculated our scores and were thinking about colleges. Then we learnt that the paper was cancelled,” she said.
Sonam Wangchuk arrives at Jantar Mantar
2:14 pm: Sonam Wangchuk has arrived at Jantar Mantar to join the protest. Videos circulating online show protesters welcoming Wangchuk with slogans, “Inquilaab zindabad (Long live the revolution).”
When asked by reporters about his one message to the youth, Wangchuk said, “Participate, unite, and be the gentle force, which is gentle but firm.”
2:00 pm: For the government, we may be mere insects, but we are alive and capable of fighting for our rights, Cockroach Janta Party wrote on X. The party reaffirmed its stance, saying the protest “proves that they are alive.”
“Log kahte hain aandolan, dharna pradarshan aur juloos nikalne se kya hota hai? isse yah siddh hota hai ki hum jeevit hain!” (“People ask, ‘What is achieved by movements, sit-ins, protests, and marches?’ They prove that we are alive!)”
“Sarkar ke liye hum ho sakte hain keede makaude, lekin hum jeevit hai aur apne hakon ki ladai ladne ke liye saksham hai (To the government, we may be nothing more than vermin, but we are alive and capable of fighting for our rights).
1:29 pm: Activist Yogendra Yadav shares a poem for the youth gathered at the protest.
1:28 pm: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) reiterated that its sole demand is the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a post on X, the party stated, “Our single-point agenda is that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign for destroying India’s education system. Don’t fall for any distraction tactics.”
According to news agency PTI, the protest drew hundreds of participants, predominantly young people, many of whom were seen wearing cockroach masks and carrying flowers.
12:52 pm: Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), accused the government of paying more attention to the group’s social media presence than to its demands, including the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests.
He joined the planned protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday, where heavy security was in place, and large numbers of young people had gathered.
“My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan’s resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space,” Dipke reportedly told the crowd, drawing loud support from those present.
Speaking about his arrival at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport earlier in the day, Dipke said that moments before his flight landed, he felt as though he was experiencing his final moments of freedom. “I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause,” he said.
The CJP founder further claimed that many people had compromised themselves and “sold out” out of fear of imprisonment.
11:54 am: Protesters chant “The youth of the country will no longer fear, they will fight.”
11:02 am: TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose extended support to the founder of the CJP movement.
She wrote on X: “All the best. And all support. Fight the good fight!”
10:57 am: Protesters demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation: “Dharmendra Pradhan, resign! We elected the Education Minister and sent him there; he gets his salary from our taxes!” slogans were voiced out at the protest site.
10:47 am: Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, has arrived at Jantar Mantar to lead the protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest will begin shortly.
10:37 am: Thousands of protesters begin arriving at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, says CJP
Sloganeering against ‘Godi Media’
As the protest gathered momentum at Jantar Mantar, participants were seen raising slogans against what they described as “Godi Media,” accusing sections of the mainstream media of failing to adequately highlight issues related to examination irregularities and student concerns.
Sonam Wangchuk extends support
Prominent education reform advocate and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk is expected to join the demonstration. Wangchuk had earlier announced his intention to participate if corrective action was not taken by June 5.
In a statement shared on social media, Wangchuk said that any minister should take responsibility when significant lapses affect millions of students. He argued that the controversy extends beyond examination irregularities and reflects deeper issues within India’s education system.
Speaking in a video message, Wangchuk said his concerns stem from decades of work to improve education in remote government schools, adding that the lack of meaningful reform has left him deeply disappointed.
CJP’s rapid rise
The Cockroach Janta Party emerged last month as a satirical response to remarks made during a court proceeding in which certain individuals were reportedly described as “cockroaches” and “parasites.” What began as an online movement has since evolved into an organised campaign with a growing youth following.
Positioning itself as “a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth,” the group has witnessed remarkable growth across social media platforms. Its Instagram account has reportedly surpassed 22 million followers, significantly outpacing the follower counts of several established political parties.
Ahead of the protest, the organisation announced a new media team to strengthen its public engagement efforts. Investigative journalist Saurav Das has been named chief spokesperson, while political researcher and filmmaker Vijeta Dahiya and former management consultant Ashutosh Ranka will also represent the group before the media.
Who is Abhijeet Dipke?
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, 30, recently returned to India to spearhead the protest movement. Originally from Maharashtra, Dipke studied journalism in Pune before moving to the United States for higher education.
He recently completed a master’s degree in Public Relations from Boston University. Prior to launching CJP, Dipke worked with the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023, contributing to social media operations and election campaign management.
As the protest gets underway in the national capital, it is drawing attention from students, educators, activists, and political observers amid continuing debate over examination integrity and accountability within India’s education system.
