Supporters of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) banged steel plates and spoons as part of a protest against recent exam lapses at Jantar Mantar here on Saturday, with a section of them refusing to leave the venue till education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

Delhi police urged protesters led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to leave the site, saying they had permission till 5pm. However, several demonstrators stayed put till the filing of this report, with some complaining that the police had restricted access to water, food and washrooms and switched off streetlights.

Amid heavy police deployment, hundreds of protesters, mostly youths, responded to Dipke’s call to bring “thali and chammach” (plates and spoons) and banged them as chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign” rent the air.

“If banging plates could drive away corona, then banging plates can drive away Dharmendra Pradhan too,” said Dipke after arriving at the venue to huge cheers.

CJP, the online satirical platform, was allowed to protest at the venue from 1pm to 5pm. Around 4pm, Dipke asked the crowd whether they should stay back until their demand for Pradhan’s resignation was met. Many in the crowd answered in the affirmative.

“We respect democratic institutions and remain committed to peaceful and non-violent protest. However, we will not leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigns,” Dipke said.

From the stage, he appealed to the police to extend the protest timing till
Sunday and later submitted a written application.

The police declined the request and asked them to leave the site by 5pm. Around 6.30pm, the police issued a warning to the protesters to vacate the premises.

Dipke asserted that he would not budge until Pradhan resigned.

This was the second protest organised by the CJP at the Jantar Mantar over alleged exam irregularities, paper leaks and demands for accountability from the government. It came a day ahead of the NEET-UG retest.

The banging of utensils stopped briefly as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk took the stage. He announced that he would go on a hunger strike from June 27 if Pradhan did not resign.

“We are demanding accountability from a minister who has clearly made mistakes. There should be accountability, and if required, there should be mass resignations,” he said.

“The danger from lies is greater than the danger from China or Pakistan. We have to protect ourselves from falsehood and fear,” the educator and activist said.

Sixty-year-old Neelam, who was part of the crowd, said she had come to fight for a better education system for her grandchildren.

Manisha, a 50-year-old homemaker, said she had to counsel her niece, who is set to appear for the NEET-UG retest on Sunday.

“My niece has been preparing hard to crack the NEET for the last two years. She was confident of making the cut this year but the exam was cancelled because of a paper leak. She is in distress and is suffering from anxiety and depression,” Manisha said. “I am here for her and other students of this country,” she added.

Pooja, who came with her family members, also raised similar concerns. “My niece was facing mental agony after the NEET-UG exam was cancelled. She can’t come here because she is preparing for tomorrow’s exam. But I am here to support this cause,” Pooja said.

Riya and Rashika, who have recently cleared their Class XII board exam, came to protest the CBSE’s on-screen marking system, which has been blamed for the low marks of many meritorious students this year. Around 1.6 lakh candidates have submitted requests for re-evaluation. “The CBSE is charging money for re-evaluation. It should be free,” Rashika said. “Our future is in the dark. It is at stake. There is no accountability,” Riya complained.