Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI: Members and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday for a demonstration centred on alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment processes.The protest attracted hundreds of participants, most of them students and young professionals. Many attendees wore cockroach masks and carried flowers, while schoolchildren were also seen at the venue accompanied by their parents.Protesters raised slogans and called for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over issues linked to examinations such as NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC.The agitation was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth-driven online movement that has rapidly gained traction on social media in recent weeks.
Abhijeet Dipke urges restraint and non-violence
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived in Delhi on Saturday morning and headed directly to the protest venue after landing in the capital.Ahead of the gathering, Dipke appealed to supporters to conduct themselves peacefully and avoid any confrontation. In a post on X, he encouraged participants to carry books and the national flag to the demonstration.He also asked supporters to offer flowers to police personnel as a “gesture of compassion and gratitude,” stressing that the movement should be guided by “love and peace.”The organisation had earlier circulated instructions urging participants to maintain non-violent conduct and cooperate with authorities.Dipke, who recently returned from the United States to take part in the mobilisation, has repeatedly described the campaign as a peaceful constitutional movement.
Massive security deployment across Delhi
Authorities implemented extensive security measures across the national capital in anticipation of the demonstration.Delhi Police confirmed that the organisers had received permission to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar. However, additional personnel were stationed across key locations, including Indira Gandhi International Airport, major railway stations, interstate bus terminals and border checkpoints connecting Delhi with neighbouring states.Sources said around 40 companies of paramilitary forces had been deployed to support Delhi Police. Senior officers, including Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Additional DCPs and ACPs, were assigned supervisory responsibilities across the city.Multiple layers of barricades were erected at sensitive locations and intensified vehicle checks were carried out on routes leading towards central Delhi.Officials also strengthened security around the residence of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a precautionary measure.Reserve forces were kept on standby, while the Special Branch monitored developments across districts. Authorities were also keeping watch on social media activity connected to the protest and coordinating with private cab aggregators to track unusual movement patterns towards the venue.Police said metro services would continue as normal and maintained that the overall situation remained under control.
Sonam Wangchuk extends support
Activist Sonam Wangchuk voiced support for the demonstration and said he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke were arrested.The protest has drawn attention from a range of activists and student groups who have raised concerns about examination and recruitment processes.
BJP dismisses political significance of movement
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade downplayed the significance of the Cockroach Janta Party and said social media-driven organisations could not match established political parties.“If the country was run by political parties created on social media, then the country itself would have been run by social media. It is nothing like that. Parties formed on social media cannot run the country,” he told reporters.Tanavade argued that political organisations require years of groundwork, institutional structures and organisational development to gain lasting relevance.He said the BJP had evolved over decades through a defined constitutional framework and a broad network of affiliated organisations and asserted that the CJP would have little impact on either the ruling party or national politics.
Security stepped up at Dipke’s Maharashtra residence
While Dipke attended the protest in Delhi, police in Maharashtra increased security around his residence in the Waluj MIDC area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.Deputy Commissioner of Police Pankaj Atulkar said the deployment had been expanded to prevent crowding around the property.“If there is a need to deploy more manpower, we will do so after a review,” he said.Atulkar also confirmed that Dipke’s parents were not currently staying at the residence.“They are not in contact with me,” he said.Officials at MIDC Waluj police station said security arrangements had been strengthened, with a larger police team posted at the location.
From online satire to organised campaign
The Cockroach Janta Party emerged after remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing last month, when certain individuals were referred to as “cockroaches” and “parasites.”What began as a satirical online response has since developed into a structured digital movement with a substantial social media following.The group has positioned itself around demands for accountability in examinations and recruitment tests and has made the resignation of the education minister one of its central demands.
