Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), arrived in India from the United States on Saturday morning to lead a mega protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The founder of the online movement was seen holding a copy of social reformer BR Ambedkar's autobiography at Delhi airport.
In his first remarks after arriving in India, Dipke, along with several protesters, raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak case, the CBSE's on-screen marking system-related alleged irregularities, and other alleged examination-related lapses.
“Dharmendra Pradhan must resign” and “Dharmendra Pradhan, resign!” were among the slogans raised apart from “Jai Bhim”.
Also read | ‘Record everything, apply sunscreen’: CJP issues dos & don’ts for today's protest, shares full plan
{{/usCountry}}Also read | ‘Record everything, apply sunscreen’: CJP issues dos & don’ts for today's protest, shares full plan
{{/usCountry}}The minister and the education department are facing flak over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and alleged irregularities in the CBSE's on-screen marking (OSM) system, which was used for both evaluation and re-evaluation of Class 12 board examinations.
Sonam Wangchuk to join
The 59-year-old activist from Ladakh, who was held in detention for six months after his arrest in September during deadly protests demanding autonomy for the region, had earlier announced that he would join the protest.
“If not us, who? If not now, when? I will be joining the CJP members in Delhi on 6th June if nothing changes by 5th June. Any self respecting Minister should resign if things go so wrong... Not to mention the effect on millions of young lives and in fact the future of India,” he said earlier in a post on X.
Also read | Was Abhijeet Dipke deported by US? Govt gets question ahead of Cockroach Janta Party protest in Delhi
In a video posted on the social media platform, he demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, saying his concerns went far beyond the NEET paper leak and the controversy surrounding CBSE's evaluation process.
“Your reasons are the NEET and CBSE exams, but for me, it is a bigger issue. For the past four decades, I have tried to improve education in government schools in remote areas. When I don’t see anything changing, I feel disappointed and I feel the need to do something,” he said.
The rise of CJP
The outfit was initially formed as a satirical reaction to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing last month, when certain individuals were referred to as "cockroaches" and "parasites". Since then, it has evolved into an organised campaign and built a massive following online.
Also read | Why Cockroach Janata Party has no woman spokesperson? Abhijeet Dipke answers
Its popularity has grown rapidly, driven by the slogan, "a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth".
The party's Instagram account has crossed 22 million followers, more than double the Bharatiya Janata Party's 9 million followers on the platform and ahead of the Congress party's 13 million followers.
Ahead of the protest, the organisation announced three spokespersons as part of its efforts to widen its outreach.
In a post on X, the group founded by Abhijeet Dipke said investigative journalist Saurav Das would be its chief spokesperson. Political researcher and filmmaker Vijeta Dahiya, along with former management consultant Ashutosh Ranka, represented the organisation before the public and the media.
Who is Abhijeet Dipke?
The 30-year-old founder of CJP hails from Maharashtra and earned his undergraduate degree in journalism in Pune.
After completing his studies there, he moved to the United States to pursue higher education.
He recently completed a two-year master's degree in Public Relations from Boston University.
From 2020 to 2023, he worked with the Aam Aadmi Party, where he was involved in social media management and election campaign activities.