New Delhi: Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), criticised the government for focusing on the organisation’s social media activity rather than addressing their demands, which include Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests.
Dipke participated in a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi Saturday, which was held under heavy security and joined by scores of youth.
My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan’s resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space, Dipke stated during his address to the crowd, which energetically supported his words.
He also mentioned that activist Sonam Wangchuk would be joining the protest shortly and thanked him for his support.
Recalling his arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport that morning, Dipke said that just before his flight was about to land, he felt as though he was living his last moments of freedom. I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause, he said.
The CJP founder claimed that many people have compromised themselves and ‘sold out’ due to the fear of imprisonment. Lekin is desh ka chatra, yuva nahi bika hai (The youth and students of this country have not sold themselves), he said amid loud cheers from the crowd.
Hundreds of people, mostly young individuals, turned out for the demonstration, many of whom were wearing cockroach masks and holding flowers. School students were also seen attending the protest along with their parents.
The majority of participants were a mix of school and college students, along with young professionals.
Scores of students gathered at the venue, chanting slogans and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Dipke, who arrived in Delhi early in the day, had urged supporters to maintain discipline and ensure that the protest remains peaceful.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has also expressed support for the protest, stated that he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke is arrested.
In a post on X, Dipke expressed excitement about meeting supporters at Jantar Mantar and encouraged them to bring a book and the national flag. He also urged participants to offer flowers to police personnel as a gesture of compassion and gratitude, emphasising that the movement should be led with love and peace.
The protest has been organised by the CJP, a youth-led online movement demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC examinations.
Security was heightened across the national capital in anticipation of the protest. Police officials stated that additional personnel had been deployed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, border entry points, and other sensitive locations.
More than 1,000 police personnel have been allocated for deployment throughout New Delhi and other strategic locations as a precaution.
In the run-up to the protest, the CJP had circulated guidelines urging participants to maintain non-violent conduct and avoid confrontation. Dipke’s latest appeal reiterated those instructions, emphasising respectful engagement with law enforcement personnel during the demonstration.
