Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke returned to India on Saturday and launched a large-scale protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The demonstration witnessed a significant turnout, particularly from young people, and was held under heavy security arrangements. The protest focused on alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, with participants demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Addressing the gathering, Dipke accused the government of ignoring public concerns despite continuous demands for action. Speaking to supporters, he said, "My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space."

Apart from seeking the resignation of the education minister, the protesters raised several concerns related to the country's education system. One of the major demands was the careful implementation of digitalisation in education. Protesters argued that technology should only be introduced after proper assessment and adequate training of teachers.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, 50-year-old Radheshyam Kaithal, whose three children are pursuing higher education in Delhi, said, “We are digitalising everything from banking to education, but are we able to stop the wrong practices? The answer is no. There is rampant bank fraud, and now we are seeing the impact of digitalisation in the education space. I am not against it, but introduce it only after proper assessment and training of teachers.”

The protesters also highlighted the educational challenges faced by students in Manipur due to the ongoing unrest in the state. They demanded the restoration of normal educational activities and a stable learning environment for students.

Winson, a 32-year-old social entrepreneur from Manipur who currently works in Noida, shared his concerns. He said, “There’s unrest in Manipur since the past three years. Nothing in my state functions in a normal way, including schools and colleges. Students are under so much distress there.”

Another major issue raised during the protest was the demand for fairness and credibility in competitive examinations. Participants expressed concern over examination-related controversies, including the NEET paper leak case, and stressed the need to restore trust in the system.

Gayathri Singh, a 34-year-old resident of Delhi originally from Jaipur, spoke about the impact of the controversy on students and their families. She said, “My cousin was preparing for NEET away from family and in a tiny room in Kota. He was hopeful that even if he got admission to a low-ranking college, he would take it. But then the leak happened. He has been preparing for over three years. We don’t know how to motivate him to appear for the paper again.”

Several participants said they joined the protest because it focused on issues directly affecting students and parents. Many felt that concerns related to education were often overlooked and needed greater public attention.

Eighteen-year-old Ronak Kumar from Delhi explained why he decided to attend the demonstration. He said, “I have been following the party online, but wasn’t sure if I should come for the protest or not. I was on my way to the office at 10 am in Rohini, but suddenly I decided to just come and check. I don’t know about the party’s future, but for now at least they are talking about issues that matter to everyone—whether you are a student or a parent worrying about the education of your children.”

The protesters also called for greater accountability in the education system and increased attention to students' mental health. Many participants pointed to the emotional pressure faced by students due to examination-related uncertainties and failures in the system.

Sugandha, a 38-year-old psychologist, said, “The CJP movement has been able to bring people from social media to the ground, which means they are talking about issues that people somewhere relate to. Some students have ended their lives and lakhs are under constant mental pressure, and there’s no accountability.”

The protest attracted hundreds of participants, most of them students, young professionals and first-time demonstrators. Many attendees wore cockroach masks and carried flowers as symbols of the movement. Several school students were also present along with their parents.

At the protest venue, supporters raised slogans demanding accountability for alleged examination-related lapses, including the NEET paper leak case and concerns regarding CBSE's on-screen marking system. Chants such as “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign”, “Dharmendra Pradhan, resign!” and “Jai Bhim” echoed throughout the gathering as protesters called for reforms and greater transparency in the education system.