The Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination entered its seventh day at Jantar Mantar on Friday, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's birthday becoming the latest flashpoint. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke unveiled a 'birthday gift' for the minister—a resignation letter—while activist Sonam Wangchuk announced an indefinite hunger strike starting June 28 if the government does not respond to demands.
Birthday 'Gift' and Calls for Resignation
Marking the occasion, Dipke wrote on a whiteboard, 'Happy Birthday, Pradhan. Please resign,' as supporters sang the birthday song. In a video shared from the protest site, Dipke said, 'A very happy birthday to you, Dharmendra Pradhan. Do us a favour and resign. As a gift, we'll send you a resignation letter; you just need to put your thumbprint on it.'
The protest, which began a week ago, centers on allegations of a paper leak in the NEET-UG examination. Dipke has repeatedly called for Pradhan's resignation, holding him responsible for the alleged irregularities and subsequent student suicides.
Wangchuk's Hunger Strike Announcement
Activist Sonam Wangchuk announced in a video message on X that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from Saturday, June 28, if the government fails to respond to his demands. He said he would wait until June 27 for a response. His demands include accountability in the education sector and greater responsibility towards Ladakh's environment, culture, and people. 'If I do not receive a response on either of these issues by Saturday, I will sit on a hunger strike with all of you,' Wangchuk stated.
Wangchuk recently returned from Geneva, where he had assured supporters he would review the campaign's status. He argued that citizens should have a greater say in education-related decisions and that Ladakh’s residents must be consulted on environmental and cultural issues.
CJP's X Account Blocked: Dipke's Allegations
Earlier, Dipke appeared before a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology committee over the withholding of the group's X account. He alleged that officials declined to share the order authorizing the action, calling it confidential, and did not explain why the account had been blocked. 'Everything is confidential; you should have kept the NEET paper confidential as well. Why did that leak? These suicides would not have happened,' Dipke said.
He further alleged that the group's social media accounts were blocked to silence its campaign and claimed officials told them the accounts were being followed by users in Pakistan. His remarks came after Pradhan described the group as the 'B-team of terrorists.'
Dipke Rejects 'Terrorist' Label, Targets PM Modi
Rejecting the allegation, Dipke said, 'Are we asking for votes? We are asking for justice. We are taxpayers, our parents are taxpayers, and you call us terrorists. Are you not ashamed?' Escalating his criticism, he added, 'You called farmers and doctors terrorists. Who is left?'
Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dipke said, 'PM cannot take a resignation and claims to have stopped the Russia-Ukraine war. Can he stop paper leaks?' He also alleged that those responsible for student suicides must be held accountable, saying, 'Who is responsible for the suicides? It is Dharmendra Pradhan.'
