The Cockroach Janta Party held its first press conference ahead of a June 6 protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam controversies in NEET, SSC and CBSE. Spokespersons Sourav Das, Vijeta Dahiya, and Ashutosh Ranka framed the agitation as a youth-led movement for systemic accountability in India’s education system.
THE COCKROACH JANTA PARTY (CJP), ahead of its upcoming ‘peaceful protest’ at the Jantar Mantar this Saturday on June 6, 2026, has held its first-ever press conference. Late Wednesday evening, June 3, 2026, three spokespeople for the CJP demanded for the resignation of the Union Education Minister over recent failures in the Indian Education system. In addition, an outline for the upcoming protest was also conveyed.
The major focus of the June 6 protest, as per the CJP, would be the slew of controversies that have erupted in competitive exams in the country such as NEET, SSC, and CBSE which has impacted lakhs of students. It seeks accountability from the government and Pradhan.
Investigative journalist Sourav Das, author and filmmaker Vijeta Dahiya, and former McKinsey consultant and AAP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka have been announced as the official spokespeople for the Cockroach Janta Party.
At the conference held at the Constitution Club of India, one of CJP spokesperson, investigative journalist Sourav Das, said party members would first receive founder Abhijeet Dipke at the airport upon his return from Boston. Afterwards, the delegation will head off to Parliament Street to seek permission from police authorities for the Jantar Mantar protest.
See also: Sonam Wangchuk Backs Cockroach Janta Party, Set to Join Jantar Mantar Protest on June 6
Urging youngsters to participate, Das said that anyone, no bar, can be a part of the protest. "We have given an open call. Anybody can join us without a party banner. We are ready to have a dialogue with everybody, be it those in power or the Opposition," he said.
“Our main demand is that there should be some accountability in the system. A total of 8 lakh people have signed a petition asking for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. There is not a single answer from their side. Two officers have been transferred; this is not a punishment, as they weren’t even suspended. We are seeking accountability from the system. You have seen the support we are getting all over the country,” said Sourav Das, a CJP member and journalist, at the press conference.
Addressing the recent government decision of moving the chairperson and secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Das remarked that the decision was nothing but an ‘eyewash’ and that further accountability is needed.
We are demanding accountability in the system. The transfers are being projected as action, but there's a rot in the systemSourav Das, Spokesperson, Cockroach Janta Party
Dismissing rumors of CJP’s alleged ties with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Ranka remarked that “past affiliations are not important.” The CJP has received some major flak over its founder’s past affiliation with AAP. Dipke has previously served in the party’s social media and digital communication wing. During October 2019-April 2021, Dipke served as a Communications Fellow in the Delhi Chief Minister's Office (CMO) under former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. During the Delhi Assembly February 2020 Elections, he volunteered with AAP's core digital media machinery.
Ashutosh Ranka said the protest was due to concerns about systemic failure. “Our past affiliations are not important. This fight is bigger than that. CJP is bigger than an individual or any organisation,” he said.
Dahiya added that the movement (CJP) is consequential to the growing dissent amongst youngsters with the current state of the education system. “The way this movement has captured the imagination shows that an entire generation is dissatisfied with the state of affairs,” he said.
Dahiya remarked that the movement would continue even if Dipke was detained on arrival. “This party is not just Abhijeet’s party,” he said. “This is the party of youth. If climate activists like Sonam Wangchuk can get arrested, Abhijeet can be arrested too, but someone has to come forward.”
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