The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is set to hold its second major protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, intensifying its campaign against exam paper leaks and student suicides. The protest, scheduled to begin at 1 pm, is expected to draw students from Delhi and neighbouring states.
Ahead of the demonstration, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke 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.
In a video shared by the organisation on social media, Dipke said: "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."
The appeal 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.
Earlier, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das appealed to artists and singers to join the protest.
Dipke also wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, expressing concern over what he described as an escalating crisis affecting students and demanding accountability from the government.
In the letter, Dipke urged the Centre to provide Rs 1 crore compensation to families of students who died by suicide amid examination-related controversies. He claimed that 11 students had taken their own lives in recent weeks.
He also demanded the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak.
"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," Dipke said in the letter.
The June 21 protest follows a demonstration organised by the group at Jantar Mantar on June 6, where hundreds of students and young professionals gathered to demand action over alleged irregularities in entrance examinations and recruitment tests.
Since then, the organisation has expanded its campaign to multiple cities and continued to press for accountability in examination-related matters, with Pradhan's resignation remaining one of its principal demands.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened across the national capital ahead of Saturday's protest.
The Delhi Police said the CJP has been granted permission to hold the demonstration. CCTV cameras have been installed at and around Jantar Mantar for real-time monitoring, while around 270 body-worn cameras will be used by police personnel deployed at the site.
Delhi Police videographers have also been assigned to record the protest and developments on the ground. Multiple layers of barricades have been erected around Jantar Mantar and adjoining roads, while vehicles are being checked at key entry and exit points across the city.
Police sources said reserve forces have been kept on standby and senior officers have been assigned field duties to supervise security arrangements.
Officials said the Special Branch is closely monitoring developments and social media activity linked to the protest. Security has also been stepped up at major transport hubs, including the airport, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and border points.
Traffic diversions may be imposed depending on the size of the gathering, though metro services are expected to operate normally, police said.
(With inputs from PTI)
