Plates and Spoons Mark Protest Against Modi Era Policies

Supporters of the satirically named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, carrying plates and spoons. This act repurposes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2020 call for citizens to bang utensils in solidarity with frontline COVID-19 workers. The CJP is now using the gesture to demand the resignation of the education minister.

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All the cockroaches joining tomorrow's protest at Jantar Mantar should carry a thali and a chammach with you. You know the rest of the story.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, in a video message, urged participants to bring a "thali and a chammach," referencing the well-known 2020 gesture. The original appeal, made on March 22, 2020, during the 'Janata Curfew' lockdown, has become a recurring symbol for satirizing the Modi administration.

The protest's central demand is the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to the NEET-UG medical entrance exam paper leak and related issues. A retest for the NEET-UG is scheduled for June 21.

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This is like closing a road because there are potholes instead of repairing it. Banning Telegram makes no sense.

Dipke, speaking from his village in Maharashtra, also criticized the government's decision to temporarily block the messaging app Telegram before the NEET retest. He likened the ban to "closing a road because there are potholes instead of repairing it," stating that banning Telegram is nonsensical. He also claimed that five more students had died by suicide over the issue.

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I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation, the lives and mental well-being of our young students.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, Dipke urged the government to provide ₹1 crore in compensation to the families of students who died by suicide amid examination-related controversies, alleging that 11 students have taken their own lives in recent weeks. He reiterated the CJP's month-long demand for the education minister's resignation, emphasizing that students seek accountability for the loss of lives.

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The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the education minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives.