What’s Driving Abhijeet Dipke's Nationwide Protest Against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan?

Protests Sparked by Allegations of Examination Irregularities

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), declared on Sunday that his protests regarding alleged discrepancies in examination processes will persist until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down.

During a press interaction, Dipke reported that the recent demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi was a significant success, attracting approximately 7,000 participants. He emphasized that the movement is set to expand across the country.

The CJP, which is a youth-driven online initiative, has been vocal about demanding accountability for supposed irregularities in various examinations, including NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC.

Upon returning to his home in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Dipke was greeted warmly by his family.

He reiterated that the protests led by the CJP will continue until Pradhan resigns, stating, "The protest we organized at Jantar Mantar was a success, with attendance between 6,000 and 7,000. This movement will go nationwide. We will not back down until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns."

Dipke also mentioned plans for a broader action strategy to escalate the protests nationwide.

In response to the growing movement, security measures at Dipke's residence have been intensified.

"We have increased the security personnel from 11 to 15, comprising local police and city police forces," an official from the MIDC Waluj police station confirmed.

On Saturday, a large crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar under the CJP banner, demanding Pradhan's resignation due to the alleged examination irregularities, with Dipke urging attendees not to feel intimidated.

At a subsequent press conference in the capital, CJP representatives announced they would wait a week for either the Centre to dismiss Pradhan or for him to resign voluntarily, after which they would initiate a nationwide protest.

Dipke, who had flown in from the United States on Saturday morning, was seen arriving at the airport with a copy of B.R. Ambedkar's autobiography. After securing permission from the Delhi Police, he made his way to Jantar Mantar.

Protesters, donning cockroach masks and carrying placards demanding Pradhan's resignation, were present at the venue. They also called for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to cease its "Hindu-Muslim" politics, chanting slogans in praise of the nation.

Launched as an online campaign in May, the CJP has amassed over 22 million followers on Instagram, rallying youth participation in the protests against alleged examination irregularities.

Notable figures such as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI's Annie Raja, and members of Left student and youth organizations also joined the protest.