NEW DELHI — High drama unfolded at New Delhi’s historic protest site, Jantar Mantar, on Saturday as members of the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ led a fierce demonstration demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest, fueled by the recent wave of national competitive examination controversies, took a contentious turn when the group’s founder explicitly vowed to breach the designated 5:00 PM curfew mandated by Delhi Police.
The Standby: Protest Beyond the Curfew
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Party, addressed a crowd of student activists and supporters gathered at the site. Dipke declared that the organization has no intention of vacating Jantar Mantar until the Union Minister steps down from his post.
The declaration sets up an immediate showdown with local law enforcement. Under current Delhi Police and judicial regulations, all demonstrations and assemblies at Jantar Mantar are strictly required to disperse by 5:00 PM daily to maintain public order in the heart of the national capital. By openly defying this limit, the protest group has significantly raised the stakes of their political agitation.
The Core Demand: Accountability Over Exam Snafus
The ongoing demonstration targets Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following weeks of intense national scrutiny over competitive exams. Dipke and his followers maintain that the administrative lapses, cancellations, and subsequent digital lockdowns have severely harmed the trust of millions of students nationwide.
As evening approached, Delhi Police personnel heavily fortified the parameters around Jantar Mantar, deploying water cannons and additional riot control units to prevent protesters from marching toward Parliament or other high-security government installations.