With plates and spoons in hand, supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will gather at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday, as the group intensifies its campaign against alleged examination irregularities.
Ahead of the protest, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday urged supporters to bring a 'thali' (plate) and a 'chamach' (spoon), invoking memories of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to bang utensils during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"All the cockroaches joining tomorrow's protest at Jantar Mantar should carry a thali and a chamach with you. You know the rest of the story," Dipke said in a video shared by the organisation on social media.
The youth-led movement said it had secured Delhi Police's permission for the June 20 protest, scheduled for 1 pm, where it plans to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy and other examination-related issues.
{{/usCountry}}The youth-led movement said it had secured Delhi Police's permission for the June 20 protest, scheduled for 1 pm, where it plans to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy and other examination-related issues.
{{/usCountry}}The June 20 demonstration will be the group's second protest in Delhi after its June 6 demonstration at Jantar Mantar, and follows a string of protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party in several cities including Pune, Lucknow, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
What is ‘thali’ and ‘chammach’ symbolism?
The appeal to bring plates and spoons appeared to reference the Prime Minister's March 2020 call for citizens to clap and bang utensils from their balconies to express gratitude to frontline workers during the Covid-19 outbreak.
"Do remember, 5 PM this evening for 5 minutes... Be on your terraces, balconies or windows to express gratitude to all those who are working 24/7 so that our nation becomes free from COVID-19. #JantaCurfew,” the prime minister's post on X read at the time.
Dipke's appeal to PM Modi
Separately, Dipke appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide ₹1 crore compensation to families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid examination-related controversies.
He also reiterated the organisation's demand for the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan, saying accountability was necessary.
Also Read | CJP to hold second protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on June 20: ‘Confident police will grant permission’
Dipke on protests 2.0 at Jantar Mantar
The appeal comes ahead of CJP's second protest at Jantar Mantar, where the group plans to intensify its campaign against alleged examination irregularities and what it describes as the government's failure to ensure accountability in the education system.
"I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation - the lives and mental well-being of our young students," Dipke said in the letter.
He claimed that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks, including five deaths in the last 48 hours, and said uncertainty over possible re-examinations had worsened anxiety among students.
He urged the Centre to provide immediate financial assistance to affected families, arguing that many had taken substantial educational loans to support their children's academic aspirations.
"The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the education minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives," he said.
He added that holding leadership accountable is a "vital step toward restoring the faith of millions of students and parents in our educational framework", and failing to do so "inadvertently sends a message that the administration accepts the status quo."
"Therefore, we respectfully request you to sack the education minister. He is serving at your pleasure, and the buck stops with the prime minister," he said.
Dipke argued that removing the education minister would demonstrate the government's commitment to accountability rather than weakness, and warned that inaction could deepen feelings of hopelessness among students and parents.