A man holds a poster of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule during a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at the Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi on May 6, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Students from a range of Delhi colleges, including those from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Jamia Millia Islamia, showed up for the first protest held by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which calls itself an “Indian satirical political movement”.Many students said they were there to support the demand of the protestors — the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid multiple examination controversies and irregularities — but are yet to decide how involved they want to be in the movement itself.Making wrongs rightJantar Mantar in central Delhi was brimming with students and youth, bearing posters and placards. “Cockroaches do not ruin lives, BJP does,” read one slogan. “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign,” said another. Another poster listed the Ministers whose children are studying in foreign universities, saying, “Our future is leaked, their future is secure.”A Delhi University (DU) student carrying roses said that the flowers were “for the movement”, and that she was there to protest against paper leaks and irregularities in examinations. Krishna Agarwal, who is studying in DU’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, said this was his first protest and he was there to see what students can do to make wrongs right, referring to “paper leaks and issues with the education system”.No endorsement of CJP yetMany students at the protest were associated with student organisations, but said they were present in their “individual capacity”. Among the student outfits that showed up for the protest in large numbers was the All India Students’ Association (AISA). The organisation’s leaders, however, clarified that their support for the cause does not necessarily translate to endorsement of the CJP, adding that they would wait for the movement to develop before planning their future course of action.The current JNU student union president, Aditi Mishra, who is also associated with AISA, showed up in solidarity. She was one of the five JNU students rusticated and declared out of bounds from campus for two semesters due to alleged vandalism. “There is a diverse crowd today: so many students are here, including school students, and people who have shown up with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s photos. We are hoping that the momentum continues and we can bring down the fortress of the ruling party,” she said.Worried about AAP linksSome student leaders at the protest said they were present as “spectators” and were apprehensive of the “movement’s links to and endorsement from the Aam Aadmi Party”.Soon after the protest ended, AAP supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his solidarity with a post on X. “The cockroach movement is an expression of huge anger and frustration experienced by the youth of this country. Rather than terming them anti-national, the Modi Government should address their issues. AAP supports their demands. The Prime Minister must sack the education minister immediately,” he said.Bhim, a PhD scholar at DU, who is associated with the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) said he supported the cause of education reform, but was unsure about the goals of the wider movement. “We are yet to see whether it remains confined to issues like paper leaks, or touches upon other issues like unemployment. For it to be a pan-India movement, it will have to include other sections of society such as farmers, domestic workers, and sanitation workers, among many others.” Published - June 06, 2026 09:29 pm IST
