The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in this year’s NEET-UG examination entered its seventh day at Jantar Mantar on Friday, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s birthday becoming the latest flashpoint in the campaign demanding accountability.
Marking the occasion, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke unveiled what he called a “birthday gift” for the minister. In a video shared from the protest site, Dipke wrote on a whiteboard, “Happy Birthday, Pradhan. Please resign,” while supporters sang the birthday song.
“A very happy birthday to you, Dharmendra Pradhan. Do us a favour and resign,” Dipke said. He added, “As a gift, hum aapko resignation letter bhejte hai, aap bas angutha laga dijiye” (As a gift, we’ll send you a resignation letter, you just need to put your thumbprint on it).
Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from Saturday if the government failed to respond to the demands raised over the alleged NEET paper leak.
In a video message shared on X, Wangchuk said he would wait until June 27 for the government’s response before launching the fast on June 28. Referring to his recent visit to Geneva, he said he had earlier assured supporters that he would review the status of the campaign after returning from Switzerland.
Wangchuk said his campaign centres on two demands: accountability in the education sector and greater responsibility towards Ladakh’s environment, culture and people. He argued that citizens should have a greater say in education-related decisions, while Ladakh’s residents must be consulted on issues concerning environmental conservation and the protection of their cultural identity.
“If I do not receive a response on either of these issues by Saturday, I will sit on a hunger strike with all of you,” he said.
The developments come days after Dipke appeared before a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology committee over the withholding of the group’s X account. He alleged that officials declined to share the order authorising the action, saying it was confidential, and did not explain why the account had been blocked.
Questioning the government’s stand, Dipke remarked, “Everything is confidential; you should have kept the NEET paper confidential as well. Why did that leak? These suicides would not have happened.”
He further alleged that the group’s social media accounts were blocked to silence its campaign and claimed officials told them the accounts were being followed by users in Pakistan. His remarks came after Pradhan described the group as the “B-team of terrorists”.
Rejecting the allegation, Dipke said, “Are we asking for votes? We are asking for justice. We are taxpayers, our parents are taxpayers, and you call us terrorists. Are you not ashamed?”
Escalating his criticism, he added, “You called farmers and doctors terrorists. Who is left”?
Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dipke said, “PM cannot take a resignation and claims to have stopped the Russia-Ukraine war. Can he stop paper leaks?”
He also alleged that those responsible for student suicides must be held accountable, saying, ‘Who is responsible for the suicides? It is Dharmendra Pradhan.”
