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Students and parents joined protest led by founder Abhijeet Dipke who arrived in Delhi on Saturday morning, demanding accountability over examination irregularities.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) staged a protest in the national capital on Saturday over the NEET paper leak issue and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived in Delhi in the morning and proceeded directly to Jantar Mantar, where supporters had gathered for the demonstration.
Addressing the gathering, Dipke said, “For the past two or three days, my mother and sister have been crying that if I return, these people will put me in jail. They were afraid of me coming home. This isn’t just my mother’s fear. In this country, any child, student, or youth who speaks out against politics and this government fears that they might put their son in jail. How long will we live in such fear? Let them know once and for all that we are not going to be intimidated by their politics of fear.”
He then raised slogans, including: “We will not be intimidated by your politics. Stop religious politics, stop Hindu-Muslim politics.”
Referring to the turnout, Dipke said, “For the past five or ten days, people have been asking me what will happen by running a page on social media. Turn the camera around and show them how many cockroaches have come out of their homes at Jantar Mantar.”
He further claimed, “In just a day or two, lakhs of students will join us. This Cockroach Janata Party is not a planned party; it is the voice of every student who is angry with the government.”
In connection with the NEET paper leak controversy, Ladakh-based environmental activist and education reform advocate Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijeet Dipke have reportedly given Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan a one-week ultimatum to resign. They have said that if no action is taken, they will return to Jantar Mantar for another protest on June 13, 2026.
Ahead of the protest, Dipke urged supporters to maintain peace and discipline. He also appealed to participants to welcome police personnel with flowers.
Delhi Police had granted permission for the protest. Security arrangements were strengthened across the capital, with additional personnel deployed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, border entry points and other sensitive locations.
The protest concluded peacefully. Delhi Police detained six individuals to prevent a possible confrontation between two groups present near the demonstration site, officials said.
According to estimates, around 2,000 to 3,000 people, including students, youth and parents, participated in the protest.
School students, college-goers, competitive examination aspirants and parents were among those who gathered at Jantar Mantar. Many participants said concerns regarding the education system and examination irregularities had motivated them to join the demonstration.
Carrying paper cockroach masks and pamphlets, protesters demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has faced criticism over alleged irregularities in examinations, including question paper leaks and technical glitches.
According to CJP supporters, the organisation was originally launched as a satirical response to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing last month, in which certain individuals were referred to as “cockroaches” and “parasites.”
Supporters claim the group subsequently built a substantial social media following, which they say now stands at around 22 million followers.
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