Thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan [2].
The demonstration centers on allegations of a leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination papers. The movement signals growing public frustration with the integrity of India's high-stakes medical entrance exams and the government's response to systemic irregularities.
Activists from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), including founder Abhijeet Dipke and activist Sonam Wangchuk, led the mobilization. The protest featured a hunger strike and calls for a nationwide candle march to highlight the controversy [1], [3]. During the events, Sonam Wangchuk ended a hunger strike that lasted 26 days [3].
Violence erupted during the demonstration as protesters clashed with security forces. Reports indicate that dozens of police personnel were injured during the skirmishes [6]. While some reports suggest the Centre and CJP are moving toward de-escalation through a third round of talks, other accounts state that clashes between police and protesters continued throughout Saturday [6], [7].
Dipke, who said he has been diagnosed with typhoid, remained steadfast in his demands [1]. "The fight will continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns," Dipke said [1].
Other political figures have weighed in on the crisis. Rahul Gandhi said, "India’s past, students’ future," referencing the impact of the controversy on the academic trajectory of the nation's youth [2]. The CJP activists continue to accuse the government of police brutality in its handling of the Jantar Mantar demonstrations [1], [2].
“"The fight will continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns."”
The escalation of the NEET paper-leak protest into physical clashes and long-term hunger strikes reflects a deepening crisis of trust in India's national testing agencies. By targeting the Education Minister specifically, the CJP is attempting to move the accountability for administrative failures from the bureaucratic level to the political leadership, potentially turning a technical examination failure into a broader referendum on government transparency.
