CJP gears up for June 6 protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar: What's on the agenda? Who is participating? 5 points

The Viral Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is all set to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on June 6. Its founder Abhijit Dipke said earlier this week that he would return to Delhi from the US and take part in the protest. Since the announcement, several celebrities and activists have said they will join the protest and demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the entrance exam controversy.

Here’s what we know so far about the CJP protest:

1. Coakroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke is set to return to India on June 6 (Saturday) to lead a peaceful protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid lingering concerns over alleged irregularities in the entrance exams.

“…thousands of voices demanding the resignation of the Minister of Education and student justice,” CJP said in a post on X.

Read also | CJP ‘open to dialogue’ with government, opposition; calls CBSE transfers ‘eyewash’

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said that after landing in Delhi at 8 am on June 6, Dipke, who is pursuing higher education in the US, will head to Delhi Police Station on Parliament Street to seek permission for the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

2. The proposed demonstration comes against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination cycle, including allegations of paper leaks, administrative lapses and delays in conducting the exams. Questions have also been raised about CBSE’s On Screen Marking (OSM) system.

3. The satirical party held its first press conference at the Constitutional Club of India on Wednesday and called on young people from across the country to participate in the proposed protest.

“We have made an open call. Anyone can join us without a party banner. We are ready to hold a dialogue with everyone, be it those in power or the opposition,” CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said.

Read also | ‘Will be taken to Tihar’: CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke fears arrest on landing in Delhi

“We demand accountability in the system. We have demanded the resignation of the education minister, but till date no action has been taken against him,” he said.

“Transfers are planned as an action. It is not. There is rot in the system,” Das said while dismissing the government’s transfer of CBSE chairman Rahul Singh and secretary Himanshu Gupta as an “eyewash” on Tuesday.

4. Ladakh and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and actor Prakash Raj expressed solidarity with the CJP. On Thursday, Wangchuk wrote on X: “READY FOR JUNE 6… ARMED WITH NOTHING BUT PEACE AND LOVE The use of force, if any, must not be on our part! Even if it means prison… HAR EK KO ZINDAGI MEI EIK BAR JAIL JAN CHAHIYA NOT FOR A CRIME BUT FOR A CAUSE…!”

Read also | After defeating BJP, Cockroach Janta Party overtakes Congress on Instagram

Prakash Raj also said on Thursday, “I am trying to get there on the 6th to show my solidarity with the most relevant cockroach movement…as I am too far away from shooting a film (previous commitment). I am trying my best to be there. I request all young cockroaches to crawl there…”

5. Referring to the possibility of police action against Dipke after his return, CJP’s additional spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya was quoted by PTI as saying, “If Sonam Wangchuk could be arrested, Dipke could also be arrested. If he is arrested, more people will rally behind us.”

Meanwhile, founder Dipke told PTI that while he fears he may be arrested upon his return to India, he believes his planned protest is protected by constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is not an actual political party but a youth-led social media movement that has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar. The party, which was launched as a “joke”, has gained momentum since its launch last month, with many public figures signing up.