Supporters of India’s rapidly growing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a noisy protest near Parliament in New Delhi on Saturday, banging steel plates with spoons and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and repeated question paper leaks.
Hundreds of students and young supporters joined the demonstration, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government while seeking broader public support.
Authorities deployed heavy security around the protest site, while police monitored the gathering using cameras and drones.
Protesters carried placards and beat metal plates, a tactic widely seen as a satire of Modi’s 2020 appeal for Indians to bang utensils from balconies and rooftops in support of frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and student at Boston University, had urged supporters through social media to bring plates and spoons to the rally. Addressing the crowd, he described Pradhan as a “virus” that needed to be removed and said the movement was open to dialogue if the minister resigned.
Supporter Deepak Kumar warned that the protests would continue unless action was taken.
The latest demonstration follows the leak of a nationwide medical entrance examination paper through Telegram last month. Authorities postponed the test, temporarily banned Telegram in India and launched an investigation. The examination is now scheduled for Sunday.
The movement emerged in May after Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant’s remarks comparing some unemployed youths to “cockroaches” sparked outrage. Supporters adopted the term as a symbol of resilience, helping the group attract more than 22 million Instagram followers.
Since then, the movement has broadened its focus to unemployment, rising living costs and government accountability, using humour, memes and online campaigns to amplify its message.