Cockroach Janta Party demands Education Minister’s resignation, calls protest at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: The newly launched Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET and CBSE controversies and announced plans for a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 6.

At the party’s first press conference at the Constitution Club, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das called the government’s transfer of CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh and secretary Himanshu Gupta an “eyewash” and said these moves did not address deeper systemic problems. “We are demanding accountability in the system,” he said, urging young people nationwide to join the demonstration without party banners.

Das said the CJP is open to dialogue with both the government and the Opposition over its demands. The party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, plans to seek police permission for the Jantar Mantar protest when Dipke arrives in Delhi on June 6. Dipke, currently studying in the US, will reportedly visit Parliament Street Police Station on landing to file the request.

CJP announced that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk will join the demonstration. Another party spokesperson, Vijeta Dahiya, said authorities might detain Dipke on his return, adding that any arrest would likely galvanise more support. “If Sonam Wangchuk could be arrested, Dipke could be arrested as well. If he’s arrested, more people will rally behind us,” Dahiya said.

When asked about alleged links with the Aam Aadmi Party, CJP functionary Ashutosh Ranka dismissed past affiliations as irrelevant. “This fight is bigger than that,” he said. Ranka — an IIT Kanpur and LSE alumnus who previously worked at McKinsey in London — has been named a party spokesperson.

The CJP spokespeople framed the movement as a broader expression of discontent among young citizens. “The way this movement has captured the imagination shows that an entire generation is dissatisfied with the state of affairs,” Dahiya said.

Asked what the party would do if Pradhan resigned, Ranka said the group would reassess and update its position quickly. Organisers said they were hopeful of receiving permission to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar, a site with a long history of peaceful demonstrations.

The Delhi High Court had issued a notice to Saurav Das and AAP leader Gopal Rai in a separate matter on May 22, over a petition alleging an orchestrated social media campaign against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. Das did not directly address that notice during the press conference.

(Inputs from PTI)