Cockroach Janta Party gears up for June 6 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led social media movement that has rapidly gained traction online, is preparing for a protest in New Delhi on June 6, Saturday, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over a series of examination-related controversies.

The call for protest was issued by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who announced that he would return to India on June 6 and lead a peaceful demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

In a video shared on Instagram and X on Monday, June 2, Dipke urged students and CJP supporters to unite and demand accountability from the Union government over recent examination-related issues.

“The time has come for all of us to come together, following the path of the Constitution, and peacefully raise our voices to demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation,” Dipke said.

According to Dipke, he will arrive in Delhi on the morning of June 6 and plans to first approach authorities for permission to hold a protest.

“I will arrive in Delhi on Saturday morning, June 6. Please join me at the airport, and together we will go to the Parliament Street police station to seek permission to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar,” he said.

Dipke has maintained that the movement will remain peaceful and within the framework of the Constitution.

The protest is centred on growing concerns over alleged lapses in the conduct of major examinations and recruitment tests.

Dipke has alleged that examination controversies have affected more than one crore students, including those appearing for NEET, CUET, CBSE examinations and SSC GD recruitment tests.

The announcement comes amid continuing criticism of the Union Education Ministry following the cancellation and subsequent rescheduling of NEET-UG 2026 due to alleged paper leak concerns.

The government has also faced criticism over the CBSE re-evaluation process and broader concerns regarding examination management.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged lapses.

Claiming that an online petition seeking the minister’s resignation has already gathered around eight lakh signatures, Dipke said student-led protests are being organised in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

In his video message, Dipke said his family and friends fear he could be arrested upon his arrival in India. However, he expressed hope that authorities would permit a peaceful demonstration.

“I still have hope that our country is a democracy even today, and we will get permission to protest peacefully,” he said.

Calling himself an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh and Jawaharlal Nehru, Dipke said he believes in constitutional methods of protest and public participation.

The planned protest received a boost after education reform advocate and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced that he would join the demonstration if Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by June 5.

In a video posted on Instagram, Wangchuk said he had spoken with Dipke before extending support to the movement.

According to Wangchuk, he wanted to ensure that the campaign genuinely reflected the concerns of Indian youth and was not influenced by external interests.

“After speaking with him, I genuinely felt that they do not have any wrong intentions; they are highly patriotic. In fact, they are making a sacrifice to improve the country,” Wangchuk said.

While many participants have mobilised around concerns over NEET, CUET and CBSE-related issues, Wangchuk said his support stems from broader concerns about the state of education and the implementation of reforms in the country.

The CJP welcomed Wangchuk’s endorsement, with Dipke describing his support as an honour for the movement.

As of now, organisers say they intend to gather in Delhi on June 6 and seek official permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar.

It remains unclear whether authorities will grant permission for the demonstration.

With student groups, social media supporters and public figures such as Sonam Wangchuk expressing support, the June 6 protest is expected to test the growing influence of the CJP, which has emerged as a prominent youth-led online movement in recent w…