Supporters of India’s Cockroach Janta Party staged a protest in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to examination irregularities and paper leaks. Hundreds of students and supporters gathered near Parliament to amplify their demands.

Protesters used spoons to bang on steel plates, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous request for citizens to bang utensils in support of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This action, organized by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, aimed at drawing public attention to the issue. Dipke, a political strategist and student, expressed willingness to negotiate with the government if Pradhan stepped down, referring to him as a virus needing removal.

“There is a virus called Dharmendra Pradhan that has to be removed,” Dipke declared to the crowd.

Protester Deepak Kumar warned that the protests would continue if the minister did not resign or if no measures were taken. The leak of a medical exam paper last month on Telegram led authorities to postpone the exam and temporarily ban the app. The exam is set to take place soon, with the leak under investigation.

“We study in poverty, live in poverty for 24 hours every day, for years at length, and after that our (exam) papers get leaked,” student Vicky Kumar expressed, showing deep frustration.

The movement, emerging in May, gained traction following derogatory remarks by Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant. The supporters embraced the term ‘cockroaches’ as a sign of resilience and have since garnered over 22 million followers on Instagram. The movement now addresses unemployment, rising costs, and government accountability, mixing humor with political critique.

Supporters often use humor and videos that mock unemployment and corruption, gaining millions of views online. Many parody accounts have also adopted the cockroach as a symbol of satire in Indian politics.