Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has intensified its nationwide protest campaign against alleged examination irregularities including alleged NEET paper leak and issues in CBSE on-screen marking system and over the past few days the organisation has held demonstrations in several cities including Delhi, Pune, Lucknow, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Jaipur.
The movement is being led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke who has been demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the party claims that students have been affected by alleged irregularities in education system and says accountability is needed.
One of the latest developments took place in Jaipur on Monday where Dipke was allegedly manhandled before he could address a protest gathering and according to reports he was being carried on the shoulders of supporters when a commotion broke out in the crowd. Videos shared on social media showed chaos at venue. Reports claimed that some individuals pulled his scarf, slapped him multiple times and attempted to drag him down and the incident attracted attention online after videos of the alleged assault circulated widely.
Before the Jaipur incident CJP organised protests in several other cities. On June 13 Dipke joined supporters at Golden Gate in Amritsar as part of party's nationwide campaign an during the protest supporters raised slogans demanding resignation of the Education Minister. Addressing the gathering in Amritsar Dipke called upon people from across the country to join a planned protest march to Delhi on June 20 and also appealed for large-scale public participation and urged people to show unity similar to the unity witnessed during the farmers' movement. He said the protest would continue until the party's demands are addressed.
The June 20 protest has now become next major focus of the movement and according to Dipke protesters plan to march to Delhi and remain there until their demands are fulfilled. He has repeatedly urged students, youth and citizens to participate in large numbers. On Sunday June 14, CJP held a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru despite heavy rain. Dipke, activist Sonam Wangchuk and actor Prakash Raj attended the demonstration. Protesters raised slogans against the BJP-led Central Government and demanded action on the issues raised by the party.
During the Bengaluru event, Wangchuk said the movement was aimed at creating public awareness and protecting citizens' rights and stated that the protest was not about gaining political power or challenging any political party and he also criticised what he described as a lack of accountability in the education system. Prakash Raj expressed support for the movement and spoke about the need for better leadership in the education sector while Dipke also urged people not to be afraid of speaking up and said that if arrests become part of the movement, he would be the first person willing to go to jail. He further said that citizens should not have to fear legal action for raising their voices.
