‘Won’t stop until Pradhan quits’: CJP founder vows nationwide agitation

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday declared that the movement against alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests would intensify nationwide and continue until Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

A day after a major protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dipke said the youth-led campaign had struck a chord with students across the country and was now preparing for a larger nationwide mobilisation.

“We won't step back till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,” Dipke told reporters after returning to his residence in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. “The protest was successful, with around 6,000 to 7,000 people participating. We will now take this agitation across the country.”

The CJP, which emerged as an online movement demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC, organised the protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the venue carrying placards demanding Pradhan's resignation and raising concerns over repeated controversies surrounding examinations and recruitment processes. Many protesters wore the movement's signature cockroach masks, symbolising resistance against what they describe as systemic failures in the education sector.

Addressing a press conference later, CJP leaders announced that they would wait one week for either the Centre to remove Pradhan or for the minister to resign voluntarily. Failing that, the organisation plans to launch a nationwide agitation.

Dipke, who flew in from the United States for the protest, arrived at the demonstration carrying a copy of B.R. Ambedkar's autobiography and urged students not to be intimidated while demanding accountability.

The protest also drew support from several prominent activists and political leaders, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI leader Annie Raja.

The movement has gained significant traction online since its launch in May, with CJP claiming a rapidly growing digital following and expanding support among students and job aspirants frustrated by alleged examination and recruitment irregularities.

Meanwhile, authorities in Maharashtra enhanced security around Dipke's residence, increasing the number of deployed personnel following the high-profile protest.

With the Jantar Mantar demonstration serving as its biggest public mobilisation so far, the CJP is now positioning itself for a broader national campaign centred on examination reforms, transparency and accountability in the education system.

With PTI inputs