Cockroach Janta Party Protests In Delhi, Seeks Education Minister’s Resignation

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday began its protest at Jantar Mantar against the recent NEET 2026 paper leak and the alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system while demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protestors pressed on their demand, raising slogans, “Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa do (Dharmendra Pradhan step down). We asked for ‘Make in India’, you gave us ‘Leak in India’.”

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived in New Delhi from Boston in the United States (US) to lead a protest here. Dipke was seen at the airport holding a book of Dr BR Ambedkar’s autobiography.

“With the full backing of the Constitution of India, cockroaches will begin our protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation,” the official CJP handle “Coakroach is Back” had posted on X.

In a separate post on X, CJP claimed that Delhi Police granted permission for their protest at Jantar Mantar. They added that their demonstration is aimed at pressuring Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.

“Delhi Police has granted permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar. We can now assemble directly at Jantar Mantar, and no longer need to go to the Parliament Street Police Station, as originally planned. Cockroaches aa rahe hain, Dharmendra Pradhan jaa rahe hain,” the post read.

Delhi Police has granted permission to the CJP to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar from 10 am to 5 pm today, according to an official order issued by the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District.

The order, addressed to CJP founder Dipke, states that the request for a demonstration has been approved as a one-time exemption in compliance with Supreme Court guidelines and related civil appeals.

The protest comes amid heightened tensions over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG controversy. This year’s exam has been rescheduled for June 21 following disruptions, including paper leaks and administrative lapses.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues its probe, with multiple arrests made, while officials, including CBI Director Praveen Sood and NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, recently briefed a Parliamentary Standing Committee on the progress of the investigation.

Student organisations have already staged demonstrations in Delhi and other parts of India, demanding accountability for repeated examination irregularities. Several protesters were detained outside the Ministry of Education earlier.

Political reactions have also intensified, with opposition leaders questioning the government’s handling of the examination system. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Rahul Gandhi have publicly criticised the Centre over these issues. (ANI)