Thousands of students, job aspirants and young professionals gathered at Jantar Mantar on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led online movement, took its campaign from social media to the streets, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests and seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstration, held under heavy security, drew participants from across age groups, including school and college students, job seekers and working professionals. Many protesters wore cockroach masks — the symbol adopted by the movement — while others carried flowers and the national flag.
'You can delete our posts, but not us'
Addressing the gathering, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the government of focusing on the movement's social media activity rather than addressing its demands.
"My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space," Dipke told supporters, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
The protest marks the biggest on-ground mobilisation by the movement since it emerged online over allegations of irregularities in examinations and recruitment processes, including NEET, CUET, CBSE-linked examinations and SSC recruitment tests.
"Tell them, we are not scared": Dipke rallies students at CJP protest
Dipke spoke about the fear faced by young people who engage in political activism, recounting his mother's concerns about his return from the United States. Urging supporters not to be intimidated, he declared, "Tell them, we are not scared," drawing loud cheers from the gathering.
'I was prepared to sacrifice my freedom'
Dipke, who arrived in Delhi on Saturday morning, described the lead-up to the protest as tense and emotionally charged.
Recalling his flight to the capital, he said, "I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause," adding that moments before landing he felt as though he was living through his final moments of freedom.
The activist also claimed that fear had led many people to compromise their principles.
"Lekin is desh ka chatra, yuva nahi bika hai (The youth and students of this country have not sold themselves)," he said, triggering another round of applause from the crowd.
Dipke informed supporters that activist Sonam Wangchuk would be joining the protest later in the day and thanked him for extending solidarity to the movement. Wangchuk has publicly backed the campaign and said he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke were arrested.
Protest framed around 'love and peace'
Ahead of the demonstration, Dipke repeatedly urged participants to maintain discipline and avoid confrontation.
In a post on X, he encouraged supporters to carry a book and the national flag and appealed to them to offer flowers to police personnel as a "gesture of compassion and gratitude".
He stressed that the movement should be guided by "love and peace" and urged participants to engage respectfully with law enforcement personnel.
The CJP had also circulated detailed guidelines before the protest, emphasising non-violent conduct and instructing supporters to avoid any confrontation.
Why hundreds of young Indians turned up
As crowds swelled through the day, participants repeatedly pointed to examination-related controversies, uncertainty over results and admissions, and what they described as a lack of accountability from authorities.
Several attendees said frustration was no longer limited to students, with parents increasingly sharing anxieties over their children's academic and professional futures. "My children are worried about their future and as a parent, I feel that pressure too," said Nusrat Parveen, who attended the protest with her three daughters.
Many participants also framed their concerns as part of a broader crisis of opportunities for young people. Vaishali, who works with an NGO in Delhi, said the country's much-discussed demographic dividend would mean little unless policymakers addressed youth issues more seriously. Others, including competitive exam aspirants and college students, argued that repeated disruptions and controversies had weakened faith in existing institutions.
The gathering also reflected growing political disillusionment among sections of the youth. Several protesters said they were dissatisfied with both the ruling BJP and opposition parties, arguing that issues affecting students and job seekers were not receiving adequate attention. "We want a movement that can be trusted and that works on people's issues," said Neeraj, a post-graduate student from Haryana's Jhajjar.
Among the youngest participants were school students who said developments surrounding examinations had made them anxious about their futures. Advait, a Class 7 student attending the protest with his father, said students wanted assurances that examination-related controversies would not jeopardise their careers. His father, Apoorv Jothwani, echoed the sentiment, saying uncertainty in the education system had become a growing source of stress for families as well.
Six detained, security tightened
Delhi Police said six individuals were detained on Saturday as a precautionary measure to prevent a possible confrontation between supporters and opponents of the movement.
Officials said police had received inputs about the possibility of tensions near the protest site and acted to maintain law and order.
The six individuals were taken into preventive custody after they were found attempting to create a disturbance near Jantar Mantar, officials said.
No major incident was reported and the demonstration continued peacefully.
Sonam Wangchuk hails turnout, says 'democracy has survived'
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the protest later in the day, praised the large turnout and described it as a sign of the strength of democratic participation in the country.
Addressing the gathering amid chants of "Hamara neta kaisa ho, Sonam Wangchuk jaisa ho", Wangchuk said he was deeply encouraged by the number of young people who had assembled at Jantar Mantar and thanked CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke for bringing them together around a common cause.
"The topic that touched everyone was education," Wangchuk said, adding that the issue had resonated across regions and backgrounds. Calling the mobilisation a victory for citizens rather than any individual or organisation, he told the crowd, "This is our country's win."
The activist said the demonstration showed that democratic values remained alive despite growing concerns among young people. "Democracy has survived, and this survival will continue," he said.
Wangchuk also urged participants to look beyond examinations and recruitment tests, arguing that reforms were needed across institutions and governance systems. Describing India's youth as an immensely powerful force, he said meaningful change would require improvements not only in education and examinations but in all systems that affect citizens' lives.
Massive police deployment across Delhi
Security arrangements were significantly strengthened across the national capital ahead of the protest.
Police officials said additional personnel were deployed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, border entry points and other sensitive locations.
More than 1,000 police personnel were stationed across New Delhi district and other strategic areas as a precautionary measure. Barricades were erected around Jantar Mantar, while senior officers remained on the ground to monitor the situation and regulate the movement of participants.
Why the protest matters
The CJP has rapidly emerged as one of the most visible youth-led online movements in recent months, mobilising support around demands for greater transparency and accountability in examinations and recruitment processes.
Its campaign centres on alleged irregularities in major examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CUET, CBSE-linked examinations and SSC recruitment processes.
Saturday's protest marks a significant escalation of that campaign, bringing hundreds of supporters onto the streets and turning what began as an online movement into a visible public demonstration.
(This is a developing story and will be updated with further details from the protest site, police authorities and organisers.)
