A large crowd congregated at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday as the online satirical movement, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) registered its first on-ground presence, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged lapses in the country’s examination system.

Abhijeet Dipke (30), the founder of CJP, led the demonstration. Notably, he flew down to India from the United States earlier in the day. Upon Delhi touchdown, he was seen carrying a copy of Dr BR Ambedkar’s autobiography, a gesture which many supporters interpreted as a symbol of social justice as well as accountability.

The CJP’s protest was centred on the NEET UG 2026 paper leak and claims of irregularities in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) system, which the board had used during both the evaluation and the re-evaluation of the Class 12 board exam paper.

Anger erupts over exam controversies

Slogans of “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign” reverberated across the protest venue and demonstrators voiced concerns over an alleged growing crisis of trust in India’s education system.

The participants of the protest argued that repeated controversies surrounding the high-stakes exams have inflicted harm on the futures of millions of students. They further demanded greater transparency, accountability and reforms in exam management.

Among the participants was one Gayathri Singh (34) from Jaipur, who is residing in Delhi currently. She shed light on the emotional toll on students preparing for competitive exams. She said, “My cousin spent more than three years preparing for NEET while living alone in Kota. After the paper leak controversy, our family is struggling to motivate him to take the re-test.”

Sonam Wangchuk extends support

Social activist Sonam Wangchuk had earlier announced his intention to join the protest if no corrective action was taken by the authorities concerned. He said in a social media post that any self-respecting minister should accept responsibility when failures of such magnitude occur, particularly when they involve the aspirations of millions of young people.

Another of his video messages highlighted the concerns extended beyond the NEET row and broader shortcomings in India’s education system. He noted that despite decades of efforts to improve schooling in remote regions, meaningful change failed to materialise.

How did the CJP rise?

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) emerged as a satirical online movement in May 2026 after the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, had referred to some youth in the country as ‘cockroaches’ and ‘parasites,’ who enter the system by means of fake law degrees and attack it. After CJP’s emergence, it has transformed into a structured campaign attracting significant youth support across social media platforms.

It carries the slogan,”A political front for the youth, by the youth, of the youth,” which resonated widely. Ahead of the protest, the CJP also announced journalist Saurav Das as its chief spokesperson, while political researcher Vijeta Dahiya and former management consultant Ashutosh Ranka have been named as public representatives.