Cockroach Party Supporters Fill Jantar Mantar Wearing Cockroach Masks

Jantar Mantar in New Delhi witnessed a striking scene on Saturday as supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) gathered wearing cockroach masks, holding placards, and carrying the national flag while demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

From early morning, protesters began assembling at the site, many of them wearing masks shaped like cockroaches. The party has turned the identity of the “cockroach” into a symbol of protest, claiming it represents marginalized youth voices pushed to the edges of society and the state.

At the protest venue, masked supporters were seen chanting slogans. Some placards read, “Waiting for government exams that never leak,” while others shouted, “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign,” and “We wanted Make in India, but got Leak in India.”

A young man holding a placard. Photo: Agamir Somoy

The Cockroach Janata Party has alleged that the future of millions of students has been damaged due to issues such as the NEET-UG question paper leak, controversy over CBSE’s on-screen evaluation system, problems in the CUET examination, and uncertainty surrounding various recruitment tests.

They say this is why they have called for the protest, demanding accountability from the Education Minister.

After returning to the country from the United States, Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijit Deepke directly joined the protest on the day of the demonstration. Following permission from the Delhi Police, he proceeded towards Jantar Mantar.

Before the protest, he urged supporters to remain peaceful and also advised them to bring the national flag, books, and flowers. He even appealed to participants to greet police personnel with flowers.

Strict security measures have been put in place across the capital in connection with the protest. A large number of police personnel have been deployed at airports, railway stations, border areas, and around Jantar Mantar.

Delhi Police stated that the protest has been permitted under special authorization from 10 AM to 5 PM.

The party claims that more than 800,000 people have already expressed support for their demand for the Education Minister’s resignation.