Activist Sonam Wangchuk expressed support and attended the protest at Jantar Mantar. He also stated that he would undertake a six-week fast if Mr. Dipke is arrested

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived at Jantar Mantar on Saturday (June 6, 2026) morning, hours after landing in New Delhi. He joined the planned demonstration demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following irregularities in multiple competitive and school examinations over the last few weeks.

Hundreds of people, mostly young individuals, turned out for the demonstration, many of whom were wearing cockroach masks and holding flowers. School students were also seen attending the protest along with their parents.

Cockroach Janta Party protest LIVE updates

A large banner containing the words “peaceful protest” and also asking for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan was brought to Jantar Mantar. A drone was seen hovering over the area as the protestors displayed the banner.

Hundreds of people gathered at Jantar Mantar in the first hour of the protest, with some counter-protestors raising opposing slogans at the venue; a few such protestors were detained by the police. Heavy security arrangements have been made in the strip of road that has been designated for protests, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed in large numbers. Police photographers were spread out across the site, as at least one drone captured visuals of the crowd.

“The Education Minister has to resign,” Mr. Dipke said to presspersons gathered at the airport upon his arrival. “Five students have committed suicide.” Mr. Dipke led chants seeking Mr. Pradhan’s resignations at Jantar Mantar.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk expressed support and attended the protest at Jantar Mantar. He also stated that he would undertake a six-week fast if Mr. Dipke is arrested.

Six people detained

Six people were detained by the Delhi Police on Saturday (June 6) to prevent a possible confrontation between two groups. The detentions were made as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order after police received inputs about the possibility of tensions between supporters and opposers of the online movement, they said.

Officials stated that the six individuals were taken into preventive custody when they were found attempting to create a disturbance near the protest site. Fortunately, the situation remained under control, and no incidents were reported.

The CJP movement, built on AI visuals and a viral campaign by Mr. Dipke on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, has garnered over 2 crore followers, mere days after it was launched. The movement’s spokespersons have insisted that they have no links to established political parties, even as parallels emerged between CJP and the India Against Corruption movement online, with many right wing influencers alleging political links and nefarious objectives on X.

The protest comes amid an intense heatwave in the capital, as temperatures reached 39 degrees at noon. Cell signals appeared to be obstructed, with many protestors unable to go online.

NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar extended support to the agitation. In a statement, Mr. Pawar said the overwhelming response to the protest reflected growing resentment among the country’s youth against the Centre’s policies and the alleged mismanagement of key examinations.

“The unprecedented participation of young people in the agitation shows the simmering discontent among the youth. The irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations, along with several wrong policies of the Central government, have directly affected the younger generation and triggered widespread anger,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)