On June 6, 2026, thousands of student activists led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke staged a massive demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged national exam paper leaks and systemic educational irregularities. The youth-led organization issued a strict seven-day ultimatum to the central government, warning that they will magnify their protests into a nationwide agitation if their demands are not met by Saturday, June 13, 2026.
The CJP, which initially emerged as a viral, parody online movement amassing over 22 million social media followers, successfully transitioned into a physical street mobilization. Protesters arriving at Jantar Mantar wore cockroach masks—a satirical nod to recent controversial remarks by judicial authorities comparing young critics to pests. Demonstrators marched peacefully while clutching copies of the Indian Constitution, national flags, and textbooks to symbolise their fight for equal educational opportunities. Prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and various opposition leaders also joined the venue to support the students.
Addressing a press conference following the demonstration, CJP spokespersons stated that the current leadership must take moral responsibility for endangering the academic futures of over one crore students affected by alleged discrepancies in tests like NEET, CBSE, and CUET. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke explicitly clarified that the Jantar Mantar rally was “merely a trailer”.
Through a public statement broadcast on his social media account, Dipke announced that if Pradhan does not step down voluntarily, or if Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not dismiss him within the week, the CJP will expand its operations. The group plans to deploy coordinators to various states and capital cities to initiate localized strikes. Should these decentralized demonstrations fail to yield a resignation, the group intends to mobilize students from all corners of the country for a second, much larger, peaceful siege of New Delhi. Authorities have already heightened security parameters around key locations as the government remains silent on the ultimatum.
