Cockroach Janta Party Stages Protests in India Demanding Education Minister’s Resignation
TL/DR –
Supporters of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) are demanding the resignation of the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, due to issues relating to exam leaks and discrepancies in exam scores. The CJP was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a recent graduate from Boston University who has mobilised India’s young population, almost half of India’s 1.4 billion citizens. Despite facing attempts by police to disperse the protesters, including cutting off food and water supplies, Dipke and his supporters have vowed to continue their sit-in protest until Pradhan steps down.
New Delhi Youth Protest Demanding Education Minister Resignation
New Delhi, India – Gen Z political activists from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) are protesting in the Indian capital, insisting on the resignation of the Education Minister, despite police orders.
In the sweltering June heat of New Delhi, scores of protesters maintained an overnight vigil on city streets. Their numbers swelled on the second day amidst a heavy police presence.
Abhijeet Dipke, the leader of the viral movement, recently graduated from Boston University and returned to India to fan the flames of the protest.
With nearly half of India’s 1.4 billion population under 25, frequent leaks of exam papers and discrepancies in exam scores have caused outrage among the youth.
CJP, led by Dipke, channels this anger, demanding the resignation of Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
It started with casual social media comments, but quickly morphed into a widespread movement. Dipke’s post, “What if all cockroaches came together?” went viral, and the official website and Instagram page quickly gained over 22 million followers, surpassing India’s ruling party.
Since the first protest in New Delhi on June 6, Dipke has extended the demonstrations to other Indian cities, drawing vast support.
Stories like that of 18-year-old Sachin Kumar, who studied diligently for India’s top medical entrance examination only to have it cancelled due to a leak, motivate these protests.
India tried to control the leaks by temporarily banning the Telegram messaging app, but critics deemed it a superficial solution. Suicides among students in the days between two exam dates amplified demands for the Education Minister’s resignation.
Even amid police pressure tactics, Dipke and his supporters vow to remain at the protest site until Pradhan steps down, despite this being an unprecedented event in Modi’s 12-year reign. Dipke’s determination is clear, “If the government thinks they can exhaust us, they are mistaken,” he says. “We will remain here.”
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