Supporters of the movement The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday, demanding action on NEET 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in CBSE’s screen marking system. The demonstrators also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This was the CJP’s first major on-ground mobilization after building a large online following around issues such as exam paper leaks and education-related grievances.
A few hundred people attended the protest. Founder of the Justice and Development Party Abhijit Debaki, who came from the US to lead the protest, warned that the movement would take its campaign “beyond Delhi” if Pradhan did not step down.
The group later announced plans to hold demonstrations in multiple cities over the next week, culminating in another rally in Jantar Mantar next Saturday to mark the next phase of the protest.
However, despite the turnout and visibility, the event revealed several organizational shortcomings.
Constant changes in time and location
The lack of planning was evident in the days leading up to the protest. Announcing the unrest earlier in the week, Dibek initially urged his supporters to gather at Delhi airport when his flight landed at 8am on Saturday. “Meet me at the airport,” he said.
But two days before the event, organizers changed that. In a video posted on Instagram, Debke asked his supporters not to come to the airport and instead gather at the Parliament Street police station, citing “disturbing other passengers.”
On the morning of the protest, supporters began gathering at the police station around 8:30 a.m. Some participants traveled all night by train to reach Delhi on time. Shortly after, another announcement appeared on the Movement
Delhi Police then used loudspeakers to send people directly towards Jantar Mantar, which is about 800 meters away.
Once the supporters reached the final venue, the organizers issued another update: “The ‘cockroaches’ will start our protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation starting at 10 am.”
Microphones and speakers were short
As the crowd gathered around DeBakey, he led the chants with a handheld microphone before heading toward the stage that had been assembled just minutes before.
However, the sound system had difficulty handling the size of the gathering. The microphone wasn’t powerful enough to carry his voice through the crowd.
At times, Debaki’s speech was almost overshadowed by the Delhi Police’s public statements. Frustrated by the interruptions and poor reputation, he said: “Ye kaun bol rha hai (Who is this speaker?)” while trying to address supporters.
Lack of volunteers to manage crowds
The protest also appears to be suffering from a lack of volunteers on the ground.
Without enough people guiding participants, the crowd often splits into smaller groups, with different sections chanting slogans independently rather than working in unison.
At one point, Debke himself became caught in the middle of a large group of reporters while other members of the protest moved forward. The situation later improved, but early confusion highlighted the absence of an organized crowd management system.
The last-minute police statement sparked confusion
Another challenge arose from the organizers’ decision to seek permission on the day of the protest. Under current rules, organizers are generally required to obtain permission from the police station in the area at least seven days before the demonstration.
The last-minute clearance process created uncertainty for both regulators and law enforcement. A day before the event, news agency PTI quoted a police source as saying: “The only information available to us at the moment is what has been circulated on social media.”
According to the agency’s report, the police deployed about 1,000 personnel in anticipation of the gathering.
Water shortage in the summer heat
Hot weather emerged as another problem for participants. With temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius, many protesters struggled to find drinking water. Many nearby stores have reportedly run out of stocks of bottled water as demand rises.
In some cases, sellers offered alternatives such as lassi, which was sold for $100 cups. In comparison, the cost of a liter of bottled water typically ranges between… $20 and $50.
Small 200ml water bottles and cups of bottled water remained available at some sites, and even a tanker arrived later, but supplies were insufficient for the hundreds of people gathered at the site, leaving many struggling to stay hydrated during the afternoon.
