New Delhi, Jun 20: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as accountability for recent exam paper leaks, as a section of the protesters remained at the site beyond the designated time, despite the police asking them to vacate the venue.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke asked Delhi Police to extend their permission for the protest, saying he won’t leave the site until the Union education minister resigned. Police said the protest, which started around 1 pm, only had permission till 5 pm.
Dipke renewed his call for Pradhan’s resignation at the protest and was joined by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who announced that he would go on a hunger-strike from June 27 if the minister does not step down.
Amid heavy police deployment, hundreds of protesters, mostly youth, responded to Dipke’s call to bring “thali and chammach” (plates and spoons) and banged them throughout as chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign” echoed at the venue.
“If banging plates could drive away corona, then banging plates can drive away Dharmendra Pradhan too,” said Dipke after arriving at the protest venue to huge cheers from the crowd.
Around 4 pm, an hour before the permission for the protest was to end, Dipke asked the crowd if they want to end the demonstration or continue “till Pradhan resigns”. Many people gave affirmative responses and the CJP founder announced that they would remain at the venue and urged Delhi Police to give them an extension.
“I request Delhi Police authorities, since youth are here from all over the country, they want to continue the sit-in. The protest has been peaceful, we request Delhi Police to extend our permission. We are just innocent students,” he said, appealing to more people to join them at Jantar Mantar.
Police, however, refused to allow them to continue, and said according to a Supreme Court order, protests cannot continue after 5 pm. They made announcements after 5 pm saying the demonstration was “illegal” after the allotted time.
Soon, a number of protesters chanting ‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ cordoned the stage where Dipke and others were present. As section of the demonstrators left, as Delhi Police personnel started pouring into the protest site in huge numbers.
This was the second protest organised by the CJP here at Jantar Mantar over alleged examination irregularities, repeated paper leaks and demands for accountability from the government. It came a day ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination on Sunday.
Earlier, Dipke said that the channel for dialogue with the Centre is open, but only on the condition that the education minister resigns.
“If there are arrests, I will be the first to court arrest,” he added to the protesters.
The CJP founder also took a dig at communal politics, and said, “Has Hindu-Muslim politics helped you? Has it stopped paper leaks? What are you getting? Only one party is benefitting.”
Climate activist Wangchuk, who has earlier joined two of CJP’s protests, meanwhile announced that he would go on a hunger-strike from June 27 if Pradhan does not resign.
“Simply banging plates will not solve anything. When I sit on a fast, I hope you will stand with me,” he said. “We are demanding accountability from a minister who has clearly made mistakes. There should be accountability, and if required, there should be mass resignations.”
“The danger from lies is greater than the danger from China or Pakistan. We have to protect ourselves from falsehood and fear,” the educator and activist said.
A young public policy professional, who requested anonymity, said while it was important to show up for the protest, “nobody knows exactly where this is going”.
“The movement started on social media rather than in organised rooms. It was organic and refreshing, and that is why people connected with it,” he added.
Echoing this sentiment, many participants admitted uncertainty about the future direction of the movement. Yet, they said they felt compelled to join because some form of collective mobilisation had become necessary.
Supporters wore cockroach masks at the protests and held placards, some of which read: “If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud” and “Sack Union Education Minister”.
Dilshad Choudhary, a Delhi High Court advocate who was at the protest, said recurring paper leak controversies had become a tipping point for public anger.
“The education system has been facing challenges for years, but the repeated paper leaks became the trigger,” Choudhary said. “It is important that we support people who are providing a platform for these protests. We need change.”
A class 12 graduate preparing for the NEET said participants were not expecting immediate results but believed it was important to make their voices heard.
“Not all wars are fought to be won; some are fought to let everyone know that someone was there,” the aspirant said.
“The people gathered here are not here for political reasons. These are frustrated people who want answers,” he added.
Ahead of the protest, Dipke had written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that accountability be fixed over the concerns raised by students.
This demonstration follows CJP’s earlier protest at Jantar Mantar on June 6. (PTI)
