A newly formed group called the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP) has launched a sit-in protest in New Delhi demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest, led by CJP founder Abhijit Deepke, began last Saturday at Jantar Mantar and will continue until the minister steps down. The movement emerged in response to repeated exam paper leaks and irregularities in national-level admission and recruitment tests, which have placed the Modi administration under pressure.

The CJP, created only a month ago as a satirical take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, uses the cockroach as its symbol, inspired by a controversial remark allegedly labeling unemployed youth as “cockroaches.” The protests have drawn hundreds daily, with participants carrying national flags, singing patriotic songs, and presenting flowers to police officers to maintain peace. Symbolic acts, such as banging utensils and writing demands on diapers, have been used to mock government failures.

Following widespread exam controversies, including the cancellation of a major medical entrance test, the government has tightened security measures and used military aircraft to transport exam papers. Protesters plan to expand their organizational structure and push for long-term reforms in India’s examination system.