ISLAMABAD: India’s fast-growing youth-led 'Cockroach Janta Party" is gaining momentum, with protests expanding beyond New Delhi as the movement prepares for another protest in Pune on June 11.
In a post on X, founder Abhijeet Dipke announced the upcoming protest in Pune, Maharashtra, days after saying that if India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is not removed or does not step down within the next seven days, the party will continue its protests on the ground.
Paper leaks
Hundreds of young students gathered in New Delhi on Saturday for the first street protest organized by the party calling for the resignation of Pradhan over major exam irregularities, including question paper leaks and technical glitches.
In a post on X on Sunday, Dipke said that thousands of people had participated in a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, which he described as a demonstration of unity and anger over the education system.
"Yesterday, thousands of us made history. Our peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar showed the government a trailer of what cockroaches are capable of when we unite," Dipke said.
Last month, authorities scrapped the nationwide medical college entrance test, one of the country's most competitive exams, after investigators uncovered a question paper leak.
That came on top of another scandal related to the online marking system of tests taken by nearly two million high school students.
Within weeks, the movement has amassed more than 22 million followers on Instagram, making it one of the most prominent youth-driven online campaigns in India.
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