As supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) prepare to return to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20, the group’s founder Abhijeet Dipke has sought to turn a familiar symbol from the Covid-19 years into a political statement against alleged examination irregularities.
In a video message released on Friday, Dipke urged participants to carry a thali and a chamach to the protest scheduled for 1 pm, a move that appeared to invoke Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2020 appeal asking citizens to clap and bang utensils in appreciation of frontline workers during the pandemic.
“All the cockroaches joining tomorrow’s protest at Jantar Mantar should carry a thali and a chamach with you. You know the rest of the story," Dipke said.
The demonstration, for which the organisation said it had received Delhi Police permission, will be CJP’s second protest at Jantar Mantar this month. It follows an earlier protest on June 06 and a series of demonstrations organised by the group in cities including Pune, Lucknow, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
The protest comes amid the group’s continuing campaign over alleged examination-related irregularities. CJP has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arguing that accountability is needed in the wake of controversies linked to examinations, including the NEET paper leak issue.
Ahead of the protest, Dipke also addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking financial assistance of ₹1 crore for families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid examination-related controversies.
“I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation – the lives and mental well-being of our young students," Dipke wrote.
In the letter, he claimed that 11 students had allegedly died by suicide in recent weeks, including five deaths in the previous 48 hours. He said uncertainty surrounding possible re-examinations had increased anxiety among students and their families.
Dipke argued that many affected families had made significant financial sacrifices, including taking educational loans to support their children’s studies, and urged the Centre to provide immediate assistance.
“The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the education minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives," he said.
Calling accountability essential to restoring public confidence, Dipke said holding leadership responsible was a “vital step toward restoring the faith of millions of students and parents in our educational framework". He added that failing to do so “inadvertently sends a message that the administration accepts the status quo."
“Therefore, we respectfully request you to sack the education minister. He is serving at your pleasure, and the buck stops with the prime minister," he said.
Dipke further argued that removing the education minister would demonstrate the government’s commitment to accountability and warned that continued inaction could deepen feelings of hopelessness among students and parents.
The June 20 protest is expected to centre on these demands, with CJP seeking to intensify pressure on the government over what it describes as a crisis of accountability in the education system.
