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CJP protest: Over 10,000 youths march in Pune, demand Pradhan’s resignation
The protest march, which included students, youth groups and social activists, began peacefully and concluded with speeches calling for greater accountability from the union government
Over 10,000 youngsters took to the streets of Pune on Friday under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged failures in handling student issues, including the NEET question paper leak and rising student suicides.
The protest march, which included students, youth groups and social activists, began peacefully and concluded with speeches calling for greater accountability from the union government. Protesters carried placards, raised slogans seeking justice for students, and accused the Centre of indifference to their concerns.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Abhijit More, one of the organisers, said the march was organised to ensure that the voices of students are not ignored.
“This march is about accountability. A government that cannot protect the future of its students has failed in one of its most basic responsibilities. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign and accept moral responsibility. The NEET paper leak shattered the dreams of lakhs of hardworking students. Equally heartbreaking is the loss of young lives. Twenty-one students allegedly died by suicide under the pressure of the education system. No family should pay such a terrible price for education. The government must provide ₹1 crore compensation to each bereaved family and take concrete steps to stop such tragedies from recurring,” More said.
Speaker after speaker alleged that students across the country felt disappointed and dejected by what they described as the Centre’s “insensitive approach” towards education and youth welfare.
Representing the Delhi Students Federation, Niharika said a delegation travelled from the national capital to express solidarity with students across the country. “We came from Delhi to keep this movement alive. For the last 10 years, the Modi-Shah combine has ill-treated students and ordinary people alike. This is no longer just a CJP protest, it has become a people’s movement. We are not backing down. We are ready to face lathis, tear gas and every form of repression, but we will continue fighting until students receive justice,” she said.
The protesters drew a distinction between the handling of demonstrations in Pune and Delhi. While they appreciated the Pune Police for maintaining law and order and allowing the march to proceed peacefully, they strongly criticised the Delhi Police for its alleged use of force against protesting students.
Student Shweta Borse alleged that students protesting in Delhi had been subjected to unnecessary violence. “Students suffered head injuries, many were bleeding, yet they were treated like criminals. They deserve sympathy and justice, not brutality. Students are exercising their democratic right to protest, they are not goons. Their future is at stake. We are witnessing student suicides with alarming frequency, and this has to stop. Governments must listen instead of silencing young voices,” she said.
Another student, Amreen Shaikh, said the protest was fundamentally about fixing accountability within the education system. “When examination failures, paper leaks and administrative lapses repeatedly destroy the future of honest students, responsibility cannot simply be shifted from one department to another. Those entrusted with safeguarding the education system must be held accountable. Students are demanding transparency, fairness and answers, and the government must respond with responsibility rather than denial,” he said.
Throughout the march, participants raised slogans demanding educational reforms, transparent examinations and protection of students’ rights. Many carried banners referring to the NEET controversy, unemployment among educated youth, and the mental health crisis among students.
The organisers said the protest was intended to send a strong message that young people would continue to mobilise until their concerns were addressed. They maintained that the movement would expand to other cities if the government failed to initiate dialogue with students and take responsibility for alleged lapses in the education system.
Meanwhile, the CJP, in a statement, said that the march concluded peacefully after the organisers submitted their demands, reiterating that their agitation would continue until accountability was fixed and meaningful reforms were introduced to restore students’ confidence in the country’s education system.
