Cockroach Janata Party: After deadline of 5 o'clock, CJP gives 7 days to Dharmendra Pradhan

New Delhi: A social media campaign, sparked by a statement from Justice Surya Kant (of the Supreme Court of India), manifested on the ground today. Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), arrived in India from the US this morning and began a protest at Jantar Mantar. Dipke and his associates have a single demand: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign immediately over the NEET paper leak scandal.

Around 2 PM, in the presence of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, Dipke gave the Education Minister until 5 PM to resign; however, when there was no response from the government by that time, the CJP extended the deadline to seven days. The party has now stated that if the Education Minister does not resign within seven days, they will launch a nationwide agitation.

In a press release, the party stated, "This protest was the result of immense public frustration. Even prior to today's demonstration, around 800,000 people had signed a petition demanding the Minister's resignation, yet there was no response from the government. A large crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar today as well. Thousands of young people assembled peacefully, reflecting the widespread public concern and the determination of students and the youth to fight for their rights."

What deadline did CJP give to Dharmendra Pradhan?

The press release issued by the Cockroach Janata Party reiterates the demand for the Union Education Minister's resignation. The party is giving the Union Education Minister a seven-day window to step down. Either Dharmendra Pradhan must resign, or Prime Minister Narendra Modi must dismiss him. If this does not happen within seven days, the movement will spread across the entire country.

Why the shift from a 5 PM deadline to a seven-day ultimatum?

Abhijit Dipke, the US-returned founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, had expected a massive turnout based on his 22 million social media followers. According to BJP supporters, the 'Cockroach Janata Party' had initially tried to aggravate the situation by failing to obtain permission for the protest. However, the Delhi Police thwarted their plans by granting permission for the event to take place between 10 AM and 5 PM that very day.

When Abhijit Dipke arrived at Jantar Mantar, he did not initially receive the level of public support he had anticipated. Eyewitnesses noted that there were more media personnel present than actual protesters. However, the crowd grew as time passed. Student wings and activists from Left-wing parties began to join in support of the Cockroach Janata Party. Sonam Wangchuk, who had previously led protests in Ladakh, also arrived with a group of people. Consequently, the Cockroach Janata Party's protest was successful, although the turnout ultimately fell short of the party's expectations.

For now, the party has given Dharmendra Pradhan a seven-day window. Experts believe the party can use this time to work on its future strategy—specifically, how to expand the protest beyond Delhi and translate its social media presence into ground-level action. This will require significant effort. However, the biggest question facing the Cockroach Janata Party is whether or not the country's opposition parties will extend their support. The Congress party has not yet issued a major response. Meanwhile, while the AAP and Shiv Sena have expressed support, their cadres have not been visible on the ground.