The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has been protesting at Jantar Mantar for the past 20 days over the alleged NEET paper leak. On Thursday, the party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, shared a video showing him pleading with police officers and touching their feet.
Sharing the video, he wrote, “Students protesting and on hunger strike are getting soaked in the rain. I have requested permission from the police to set up tents at Jantar Mantar so they can be protected from the rain.”
The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since 20 June over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in various examinations, including NEET. The party is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Meanwhile, Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike at the protest site for the past 12 days.
3 pictures of the demonstration at Jantar Mantar…
Students and Deepak (extreme right) on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the Principal.
Abhijeet wrote on X that due to a lack of tents, students have to sleep wearing raincoats.
Abhijeet said that due to rain, the beds of the students at Jantar Mantar have got wet.
Wangchuk also joined the protest, demanding the Education Minister’s resignation
- The CJP is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over allegations of exam irregularities and paper leaks. Social activist Sonam Wangchuk has also joined the protest.
- Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since 28 June. His health deteriorated on Wednesday. According to doctors, he has lost more than 7 kg in 11 days, with his weight falling to 59.4 kg.
- Meanwhile, Rishikesh, an AISA member and former JNU student leader, was admitted to RML Hospital after his health worsened. He complained of chest pain and numbness in his hands and feet. His 11-day hunger strike ended after he received medical treatment, while four other students from the organisation continue their hunger strike.
CJP protests in 8 cities
CJP was formed after the CJI’s ‘cockroach’ remark
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was formed after Chief Justice Surya Kant, during a hearing on 15 May, remarked that some unemployed young people were like “cockroaches” who later attack the system by becoming members of the media, social media influencers or RTI activists.
The following day, on 16 May, US-based Abhijit Dipke launched the CJP and created the party’s social media accounts. On 22 May, he started an online petition seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, which reportedly received support from more than 8 lakh people.
As of 10 June, the CJP had 2.27 crore followers on Instagram. Although the number later fell by around 2 lakh, it still had more followers than the BJP’s 94 lakh followers and the Congress’s 1.37 crore followers. The CJP currently has 2.79 crore followers on Instagram.
Abhijeet, a resident of Maharashtra, was associated with AAP
Abhijeet, 30, is a digital media strategist from Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra. He studied journalism in Pune. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Relations at Boston University in the United States.
