A larger crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party held its second major protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan where students from Delhi and nearby states participated in the demonstration, raising concerns about the country's education system and seeking accountability over recent examination-related controversies.
The protest began at 1 pm and saw participants carrying posters calling for Pradhan's resignation and many protesters also took part in a "thali-chammach" protest, carrying plates and spoons as requested by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke.
Ahead of the demonstration, Dipke had appealed to supporters through a video posted on social media and asked those attending the protest to bring a plate and a spoon. The move was widely seen as a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when people were asked to clap and bang utensils from their homes.
During the protest, slogans were raised and questions were asked about the quality of India's education system and protesters demanded action from the government and called for accountability regarding issues affecting students. On Friday, Dipke also wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which, he expressed concern over what he described as a growing crisis affecting students and their mental well-being.
Dipke stated that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks amid controversies linked to examinations. He urged the central government to provide compensation of ₹1 crore to the families of those students. "I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation, the lives and mental well-being of our young students," Dipke wrote in the letter.
The CJP founder also reiterated his demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and according to Dipke, the party has been seeking the minister's resignation for the past month and has organized protests across the country to press for its demands and he said that students are seeking accountability for the loss of lives and want the government to address their concerns.
As the protest continued at Jantar Mantar, Dipke announced that he had approached the police seeking permission to extend the demonstration. He told supporters that he was trying to contact the authorities but claimed that police officials were not responding to his calls. Dipke also said he had sought to open a channel of communication with the government however, he maintained that the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remained a key condition in the demands being raised by the protesters.
Addressing supporters at the protest site, Dipke declared that he would not leave Jantar Mantar until the education minister stepped down from his post and CJP also issued an appeal through social media, asking students, parents and concerned citizens to gather at Jantar Mantar and support the demand for Pradhan's resignation. The protest remained focused on issues related to students, examination controversies and accountability within the education system. No announcement regarding the party's demands had been made by the government at the time of reporting.
