The youth-led online satirical movement, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which gained national attention through its protests against alleged irregularities in competitive exams across India, announced on Wednesday that it would resort to a nationwide agitation demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The organisation said it would stage protests across several Indian cities beginning Thursday and would escalate the campaign with an indefinite peaceful sit-in at the national capital’s Jantar Mantar from June 20 onwards, if its demand remained unaddressed.
CJP's June 6 protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar
Nationwide agitations to begin from Pune
The CJP issued a statement on Wednesday, asserting that young people across India were determined to seek accountability over alleged lapses in the education system and examination processes.
It further read that the first phase of the nationwide campaign would kick off from Pune on June 11, followed by demonstrations in other cities like Amritsar, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Jaipur. According to the CJP, the protests will remain in force until Minister Pradhan steps down.
The movement has framed the issue as one affecting millions of students and families whose academic futures are hanging in balance owing to recurring exam-related controversies.
“Accountability must begin at the top”: CJP
The CJP reiterated its core demand, alleging that repeated failures in the conduct and management of pan-India entrance examinations require political accountability. The organisation said, “Education Minister Pradhan has failed to take responsibility for the aforementioned failures. Accountability must begin at the top.”
The group further issued a warning that if the government does not act or if the minister does not voluntarily resign, students and young people from across India will gather in New Delhi on June 20 for an indefinite protest.
The statement further read, “We will not leave until accountability is delivered.”
CJP poster
Movement picks pace
The CJP, which initially began as a satirical social media initiative, snowballed into a broader youth movement. The CJP drew widespread attention after it held a protest at Jantar Mantar on June 6, 2026. Students and activists gathered to raise concerns regarding exam-related irregularities and the functioning of the education system.
The organisation has since expanded its outreach through online campaigns and public demonstrations, drawing support from sections of students, educators and civil society groups.
Sonam Wangchuk expected to join Pune protest
Another still from the Delhi protest
In a post uploaded on ‘X’, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said climate activist Sonam Wangchuk would participate in the protest scheduled in Pune, lending further visibility to the campaign. The CJP, while inviting students, teachers, parents and citizens to join the movement, said its campaign is aimed at securing acceptability and restoring confidence of the general public in the country’s educational framework.