With the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar entering its seventh day, the movement’s founder Abhijeet Dipke marked the minister’s birthday falling on Friday with a symbolic feature and a pointed political message.
In a video shared from the protest site, Dipke was seen writing on a white-board, “Happy birthday, Pradhan. Please resign,” while supporters sang the traditional birthday song in unison in the background.
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke
Addressing the minister after penning down the message, Dipke said, “A very happy birthday to you, Dharmendra Pradhan. Do us a favour and resign. As a birthday gift, we can even send you the resignation letter; you’ll only have to put your thumb on it.”
The gesture comes as the demonstrators continue their campaign, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak and exam-related irregularities.
Protest continues at Jantar Mantar
The sit-ins at Jantar Mantar have entered their seventh consecutive day on Friday, with demonstrators mounting pressure on the Centre over their demands. Dipke stated that the protest will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan steps down from his post. He also alleged that the Union Government had not initiated any dialogue with the protesters.
He claimed while addressing media-persons, “They are calling us terrorists instead.” Notably, the protests drew participation from students, NEET aspirants and members of several left-affiliated student organisations.
Among those supporting the protest are the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF). As part of its campaign titled ‘Fight for Education with Education,’ the AISF has also established a free library at the protest site for students.
Allegations of assault emerge
Earlier on Friday, Dipke alleged that BJP workers assaulted journalists and protesters who had gathered at Jantar Mantar. He shared video clips on the social media platform ‘X,’ claiming that the incident unfolded in the presence of Delhi Police. In one of the videos, a person can be heard saying, “Our members are getting hit in front of Delhi Police.” However, no assault was captured in that specific footage.
Until the story was filed, neither BJP nor the Delhi police issued an official response to the allegations.