The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led group, is set to hold a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 20. Founder Abhijeet Dipke has called on supporters to bring a thali (plate) and a chammach (spoon) to the demonstration, drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2020 appeal during the Covid-19 pandemic when citizens were urged to clap and bang utensils to honor frontline workers.
Protest Details and Symbolism
In a video message released on Friday, Dipke instructed participants to carry these items to the protest scheduled for 1 pm. "All the cockroaches joining tomorrow's protest at Jantar Mantar should carry a thali and a chamach with you. You know the rest of the story," he said. The group has received permission from Delhi Police for the event.
This will be CJP's second protest at Jantar Mantar this month, following an earlier demonstration on June 6. The group has also organized protests in several cities, including Pune, Lucknow, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Jaipur.
Demands and Background
The protest is part of CJP's ongoing campaign against alleged examination irregularities. The group is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing a lack of accountability in the wake of controversies such as the NEET paper leak issue.
Dipke also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting financial assistance of Rs 1 crore for families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid exam-related controversies. In the letter, he expressed concern over the mental well-being of students and claimed that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks, including five in the previous 48 hours.
"The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the education minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives," Dipke said.
Call for Accountability
Dipke emphasized that accountability is essential to restore public confidence in the education system. He argued that holding leadership responsible is a vital step toward restoring the faith of millions of students and parents. He warned that continued inaction could deepen feelings of hopelessness among students and parents.
"Therefore, we respectfully request you to sack the education minister. He is serving at your pleasure, and the buck stops with the prime minister," Dipke wrote. He added that removing the education minister would demonstrate the government's commitment to accountability.
The June 20 protest is expected to focus on these demands, with CJP seeking to intensify pressure on the government over what it describes as a crisis of accountability in the education system.
