Student Protesters Demand Education Minister’s Resignation Amid Exam Scandal

On Saturday, supporters of India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a protest near Parliament in New Delhi. The demonstration called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks.

Participants used a symbolic approach, banging steel plates with spoons, to echo a call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi asked citizens to applaud front-line health workers by banging utensils. In contrast, protesters used this gesture to highlight their demand for accountability.

Authorities ensured a significant security presence. Police utilized cameras and drones to monitor the situation. Protesters displayed placards and continued to make noise, emphasizing their demand for Minister Pradhan’s resignation.

The CJP’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, addressed the crowd. “There is a virus called Dharmendra Pradhan that has to be removed,” he stated. Dipke, a political communications strategist and student at Boston University, encouraged the gathering via social media to bring plates and spoons.

Supporter Deepak Kumar expressed determination, “This is just the beginning. If Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t resign or if no action is taken, this protest will not end here.”

The protest followed the leak of an exam paper for a nationwide medical program. The leak occurred via the Telegram app, prompting the government to postpone the exam and temporarily ban Telegram in India. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, with the exam rescheduled for Sunday.

Student Vicky Kumar voiced his frustration, “We study in poverty, live in poverty, and then our exam papers get leaked. Will I not get angry at this?”

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged in May following a controversial comment by Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant. His comparison of some unemployed youth to “cockroaches” sparked outrage, and the term has been embraced by supporters as a symbol of resilience. The movement now boasts more than 22 million followers on Instagram, advocating for unemployment, rising living costs, and government accountability.

Using humor and political satire, CJP supporters often self-identify as unemployed and chronically online. Their videos and memes, targeting unemployment and political dysfunction, receive millions of views. This satirical representation extends to parody CJP accounts, using the cockroach as a political symbol.