Days ahead of the proposed June 6 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) appointed three spokespersons on Wednesday, marking the first step towards the potential evolution of the online satirical platform into a more structured political campaign. This move comes amid growing anger over examination controversies and the party's demand seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Three Spokespersons Appointed
The three spokespersons are activist Vijeta Dahiya, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das, who recently shot to fame by attacking Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma for not recusing herself from hearing the CBI’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s order to discharge AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, his colleague Manish Sisodia, and others in the Delhi liquor ‘scam’ case. Notably, Das is facing contempt proceedings.
Press Conference and Statements
Addressing a press conference hours after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced their appointment, the spokespersons said the formation of the outfit was driven by public anger over the controversies linked to NEET, CBSE, CUET, and other examinations. They dismissed the suggestion that they were proxies of the governing BJP’s political opponents. Responding to queries about CJP’s alleged links with AAP, Ranka stated, “Our past affiliations are not important. This fight is bigger than that. CJP is bigger than an individual or any organisation.”
Support and Upcoming Protest
CJP claimed that its initiative had the support of “8 lakh people” who signed an online petition demanding Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak and CBSE’s OSM controversies. The press meet, the venue for which at the Constitution Club was booked by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP member Manoj Jha, was a build-up for the protest that Boston-based Dipke had called for on June 6.
The development signals a potential shift from a satirical online presence to a more organized political movement, capitalizing on widespread discontent over examination irregularities. The June 6 protest is expected to draw significant attention as CJP seeks to amplify its demands.
