India's Cockroach Janta Party protests education minister over NEET leak

The satirical Cockroach Janta Party, founded by 30‑year‑old Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke, turned an online joke into a street movement in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Demonstrators have camped at the site for a week, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged leaks of the NEET medical‑entrance exam and broader flaws in India’s high‑stakes examination system.

Protesters have employed symbolic actions such as carrying diapers with resignation demands, using steel platters (thalis) and spoons to mock a former COVID‑era call, offering roses to police, and lighting candles for students who have died by suicide linked to exam pressure. Attendance has fluctuated, with some days seeing thin crowds despite the party’s claim of millions of online supporters. Activist Sonam Wangchuk announced an indefinite hunger strike if the government does not respond by 27 June.

The government has labeled the group a “B‑team of terror groups,” heightened security around exam centres, and deployed military aircraft for paper transport. Officials have defended the ministry, while the protesters continue their sit‑in, insisting they will remain until Pradhan steps down.