Cockroach party rally draws students, parents to Jantar Mantar; Wangchuk backs protest

What began as a satirical online campaign has now spilled onto the streets of the national capital. Students, parents and young professionals gathered at Jantar Mantar as the movement's demands grew louder.

In Short

• Protesters from several states arrived wearing cockroach masks and carrying books
• Dipke alleged authorities were deleting posts instead of addressing student concerns
• Flowers were offered to police after appeals for peaceful engagement

Scores of students, parents and young professionals gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday for the first major on-ground mobilisation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), transforming a satirical online movement into a street protest demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Wearing cockroach masks, carrying books, flowers and the national flag, protesters assembled under tight security in the heart of the national capital, where the movement's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, accused the government of ignoring concerns raised by students while focusing on silencing dissent online.

The demonstration, which drew supporters from multiple states, comes after weeks of growing social media mobilisation around alleged irregularities in examinations including NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC recruitment tests.

FROM ONLINE MOVEMENT TO STREET PROTEST

The protest marked a significant moment for the CJP, which was born online and rapidly expanded into a nationwide youth-led campaign.

Originally launched as a satirical response to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, the movement has since broadened its focus to issues surrounding examinations, recruitment processes, unemployment and accountability.

Saturday's gathering was its first major attempt to convert online support into a physical presence on the streets.

Earlier in the day, Dipke arrived in Delhi and renewed his demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

"Education Minister must resign. Five students have committed suicide," he told reporters after landing in the capital.

'YOU CAN DELETE POSTS, NOT PEOPLE'

Addressing supporters at Jantar Mantar, Dipke accused authorities of targeting the movement's online presence instead of responding to its concerns.

"My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these people are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted," he said.

"You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space."

He also spoke about his arrival in Delhi and suggested he was prepared for possible action against him.

"Just before the aircraft landed, I felt as if I was living my last moments of freedom. I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause," he told the crowd.

Dipke also claimed that while some people may have succumbed to pressure, young people had not.

"Many people have sold out because of the fear of imprisonment. Lekin is desh ka chatra, yuva nahi bika hai," he said.

FLOWERS, BOOKS AND COCKROACH MASKS

The gathering was notable for its unusual symbolism.

Participants carried flowers, many of which were later offered to police personnel, following an appeal by Dipke for protesters to engage peacefully with law enforcement authorities.

Several protesters brought books and copies of the Constitution, while many wore cockroach masks — a symbol adopted by the movement after the remarks that inspired its formation.

School students attended alongside their parents, while college students and young professionals formed a large section of the crowd.

Slogans demanding accountability in examinations and recruitment processes echoed through the protest site as participants called for reforms and transparency.

SONAM WANGCHUK BACKS PROTEST

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has publicly supported the movement, urged participants to maintain peace and cooperate with authorities.

Wangchuk had earlier said he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke was arrested.

Dipke thanked Wangchuk during his address and informed supporters that the activist would be joining the gathering.

MASSIVE SECURITY DEPLOYMENT

Authorities mounted an extensive security operation ahead of the demonstration.

More than 1,000 police personnel were deployed across New Delhi and other sensitive locations, while additional security arrangements were put in place at Indira Gandhi International Airport, major transit points and border entry points into the city.

Around 40 companies of paramilitary personnel were deployed to assist Delhi Police, according to sources.

Multiple layers of barricading were erected around Jantar Mantar and nearby areas, while senior officers remained on the ground to monitor developments.

Police also strengthened security outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a precautionary measure.

Officials said social media activity linked to the protest was being monitored and reserve forces were kept on standby.

POLITICAL SUPPORT EMERGES

The movement has also begun attracting support from political figures.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar backed the protest and said the turnout reflected growing frustration among young people.

"The unprecedented participation of young people in the agitation shows the simmering discontent among the youth. The irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations, along with several wrong policies of the Central government, have directly affected the younger generation and triggered widespread anger," he said.

As the demonstration continued through the day, organisers repeatedly appealed for calm and urged participants to maintain non-violent conduct.

Whether the protest translates into wider political pressure remains to be seen, but Saturday's turnout demonstrated that a movement that began as an online satire has evolved into a visible street campaign capable of drawing crowds to the national capital.

- Ends
With inputs from PTI