Delhi Police on Saturday rejected Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke’s request to extend permission for the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar, with authorities maintaining that the demonstration’s approval ran only until 5 pm. Dipke, however, said he would not leave the site until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, and appealed to police to let the protest continue.
“Only condition is resignation,” says Dipke
Addressing a large gathering of students and supporters at CJP’s second demonstration at Jantar Mantar organised over alleged examination irregularities, paper leaks and demands for government accountability Dipke said the door for dialogue remained open, but that the sole condition was Pradhan’s resignation. “I request the authorities, since youth from across the country are here and want to continue sitting until we get justice. I urge Delhi Police to extend our permission. The protest has been peaceful; we are just innocent students seeking justice,” he said.
Dipke also called on Delhi Police to open a dialogue with the Centre and said he would be the first to court arrest if any arrests were made. He urged supporters to gather again at 6 pm, voicing confidence that police would extend the permission.
Police move to clear the site
Delhi Police, however, reiterated that the protest’s permission expired at 5 pm and asked participants to vacate, effectively denying the extension request. CJP leaders said they would not leave. Police personnel then began a peaceful evacuation, entering the protest area and directing the crowd to disperse; no force had been used at the time of reporting. Most protesters left, but Dipke and a handful of student leaders affiliated with AISA stayed on stage.
A day of slogans, placards and “thali-chammach”
The protest had begun earlier in the day under heavy police deployment, with students raising slogans and holding placards demanding accountability over alleged failures in conducting transparent exams. Supporters responded to Dipke’s call to bring “thali and chammach” (plates and spoons), banging them through the demonstration as a symbol of protest, while chanting slogans demanding Pradhan’s resignation. Many wore cockroach masks and carried placards reading messages such as “Sack Union Education Minister.”
Dipke was greeted with loud cheers on arrival and said the movement was meant to address students’ grievances. “We are here to solve today’s students’ problems,” he said.
Why people showed up
Several attendees told India Today they were drawn to the protest despite uncertainty over where it might lead. A young public policy professional said the movement had grown organically out of social media rather than from organised political spaces, calling it “organic and refreshing” and saying that was why people connected with it. Others echoed similar uncertainty about the movement’s future but said they felt compelled to join regardless, believing some form of collective mobilisation had become necessary.
Delhi High Court advocate Dilshad Choudhary, also present at the site, told India Today that repeated allegations of paper leaks had become a tipping point for public anger, noting that the education system had faced challenges for years but that the leaks were the trigger. He said it was important to support platforms raising such concerns.
A Class 12 graduate preparing for NEET told India Today that participants weren’t expecting immediate outcomes but felt the need to make their voices heard, saying not all such efforts are about winning but about being present and accounted for. The aspirant added that the gathering was driven by frustration and a demand for answers rather than political motives.
Background: an open letter and a second protest
Ahead of Saturday’s demonstration, Dipke had written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking accountability over students’ concerns, alongside CJP’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation over alleged examination irregularities. The June 20 protest follows an earlier CJP demonstration at Jantar Mantar that raised similar concerns over paper leaks, examination irregularities and delays affecting students and job aspirants.
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