Cockroach Janta Party Protesters Demand Dharmendra Pradhan Resignation In New Delhi

Supporters of India’s Cockroach Janta Party protested in New Delhi at Jantar Mantar to demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation after allegations of examination irregularities and repeated paper leaks.

“New Delhi, India — Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, a Gen Z political movement born out of a joke and despair, have camped in the Indian capital to demand the resignation of the education minister, defying police orders”

Al Jazeera

AP reported that supporters banged steel plates with spoons near Parliament in New Delhi, with “hundreds of students and young supporters” joining the demonstration while authorities deployed heavy security and used cameras and drones to monitor it.

Al Jazeera

The News Mill said the protest was approved as a one-time exemption from 10 am to 5 pm on June 6, after an official order from the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District, addressed to Abhijeet Dipke confirmed the approval.

Al Jazeera described how supporters camped in the Indian capital and defied police orders, with dozens of protesters sleeping overnight on roads and pavements as more people joined on the second day amid a heavy police presence.

The News Mill reported that protesters raised slogans including “Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa do (Dharmendra Pradhan step down). We asked for ‘Make in India’, you gave us ‘Leak in India’.”

AP quoted CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urging supporters on social media to bring plates and spoons and telling the crowd, “There is a virus called Dharmendra Pradhan that has to be removed,” while adding that the CJP was open to talks with the government if Pradhan stepped down.

AP News

AP also quoted a CJP supporter, Deepak Kumar, saying, “This is just the beginning. If Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t resign or if no action is taken regarding this issue, this protest will not end here,” as the protest added pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Al Jazeera quoted 18-year-old Sachin Kumar saying, “I have no faith in the fairness of this exam anymore, or any other competitive exam for that matter,” while linking the anger to suicides and calling for Pradhan’s resignation.

The protests were tied to the NEET-UG controversy, with AP saying the exam paper for a nationwide medical program was leaked last month through Telegram, after which authorities postponed the exam and temporarily banned Telegram in India.

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DW

DW said about 2.2 million premed students were set to retake the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, across more than 5,400 centers in 551 cities under heavy security measures, with students taking the 195-minute exam under strict dress code and testing rules.

Al Jazeera reported that on Sunday nearly 1.7 million students retook the exams, but Sachin Kumar stayed at the protest site, while the outlet described that in the days between the two exam dates more than a dozen students across India died by suicide.

Al Jazeera also reported Dipke telling the outlet, “We will remain here,” as supporters insisted they would not leave the site until Pradhan resigns and framed that outcome as a first in Modi’s 12 years in power.