Supporters of the movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding action over the NEET 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking system. The protesters also called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. It marked the CJP’s first major on-ground mobilisation after building a large following online around issues such as exam paper leaks and education-related grievances.
A few hundred people attended the protest. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who flew in from the United States to lead the agitation, warned that the movement would take its campaign “beyond Delhi” if Pradhan did not step down.
The group later announced plans to hold demonstrations in multiple cities over the coming week, culminating in another gathering at Jantar Mantar next Saturday to determine the next phase of the protest.
Yet, despite the turnout and visibility, the event exposed several organisational shortcomings.
Constant changes in timing and venue
A lack of planning was apparent in the days leading up to the protest. When announcing the agitation earlier in the week, Dipke had initially urged supporters to gather at Delhi airport when his flight landed at 8 am on Saturday. “Meet me at the airport,” he had said.
Two days before the event, however, organisers changed that. In a video posted on Instagram, Dipke asked supporters not to come to the airport and instead gather at the Parliament Street Police Station, citing “inconvenience to other passengers.”
On the morning of the protest, supporters began assembling at the police station by around 8:30 am. Some participants had travelled overnight by train to reach Delhi on time. Soon after, another announcement appeared on the movement’s X account, stating that there was “no longer need to go to the Parliament Street Police Station, as originally planned”.
Delhi Police then used loudspeakers to send people towards Jantar Mantar directly, located about 800 metres away.
Once supporters reached the final venue, organisers issued another update: “’Cockroaches’ will begin our protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation starting at 10 am.”
Microphones and speakers fell short
As the crowd gathered around Dipke, he led slogans using a handheld microphone before moving towards a stage that had been assembled only minutes earlier.
The sound system, however, struggled to cope with the size of the gathering. The microphone was not powerful enough to carry his voice across the crowd.
At times, Dipke’s speech was almost drowned out by Delhi Police public announcements. Frustrated by the interruptions and poor audibility, he remarked, “Ye kaun bol rha hai (Who is this speaking?)” while trying to address supporters.
Lack of volunteers to manage the crowd
The protest also appeared to suffer from a shortage of volunteers on the ground.
Without enough people guiding participants, the crowd often split into smaller groups, with different sections chanting slogans independently instead of acting in unison.
At one point, Dipke himself became stuck amid a large group of reporters while other members of the protest moved ahead. The situation improved later, but the early confusion highlighted the absence of a structured crowd-management system.
Last-minute police clearance created confusion
Another challenge stemmed from the organisers’ decision to seek permission on the day of the protest. Under existing rules, organisers are generally required to obtain permission from the police station in the area at least seven days before a demonstration.
The last-minute clearance process created uncertainty for both organisers and law enforcement. A day before the event, news agency PTI quoted a police source as saying: “The only information available to us at present is what has been circulating on social media.”
According to the PTI report, police deployed around 1,000 personnel in anticipation of the gathering.
Water shortage in the summer heat
The sweltering weather emerged as another problem for participants. With temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Celsius, many protesters struggled to find drinking water. Several nearby shops reportedly ran out of bottled water stocks as demand surged.
In some cases, vendors offered alternatives such as lassi, which was selling for ₹100 a glass. By comparison, a litre of bottled water typically costs between ₹20 and ₹50.
Small 200 ml water bottles and packaged cups of water remained available at some locations, and even a tanker arrived later, but supplies were insufficient for hundreds of people gathered at the site, leaving many struggling to stay hydrated through the afternoon.
