Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons Vijeta Dahiya, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka address the press in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Image: Reuters)Adnan Abidi

Will protest at Jantar Mantar even if permission denied, says Cockroach Janta Party

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which announced its plan to protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday, said it would go ahead with the agitation even if permission was denied to it by Delhi Police. It said it would seek permission after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke lands in Delhi. CJP spokespersons said they planned a peaceful agitation but couldn't predict how the situation on the ground could unfold.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to protest in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday
  • The satirical outfit CJP has not yet sought Delhi Police's permission for the protest
  • CJP spokespersons revealed protest to continue until the Education Minister resigns

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which started as an online satirical campaign, is now set for its first offline and on-ground protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday over the recent controversies related to India's education system. The CJP's official spokespersons told India Today Digital that they will be seeking permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, on the very day of the protest (June 6), and go ahead with their agitation plan even if permission is denied by Delhi Police.

"The protest will take place at Jantar Mantar, even if we don't get permission," Saurav Das, CJP's chief spokesperson, told India Today Digital. "We have full confidence in the Delhi Police that permission will be provided. We are planning a peaceful protest," he added.

India Today Digital reached out to the Cockroach Janta Party spokespersons to know if they had sought permission already for their planned protest. There is a set procedure, including advance intimation, that has to be followed for permission to hold peaceful protests. That's a prerequisite for security reasons.

The CJP spokespersons reiterated that their protest would be peaceful, while acknowledging that they couldn't predict how the situation on the ground could unfold.

Saturday's protest was announced by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on June 1. Dipke, who was in Boston, the US, said that he would return to India and hold a peaceful protest. Dipke is returning to India for the first time since launching the online cockroach campaign, which gained significant traction on social media.

"Hello everyone, I have decided to come back to India. Yes, I am coming back to my country, my home, India, to ask for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. You have been seeing for so many days that we are raising our voice on social media that because of the paper leak, the children of NEET who committed suicide, and the hard work of lakhs of students that has been wasted, Dharmendra Pradhan should resign," Dipke said in a video posted on X.

"Jantar Mantar is a designated spot for dissent and protest. We are not attempting to protest at the Taj Mahal, Humayun's Tomb, or India Gate. We are very hopeful that the Delhi Police will provide the required approvals for the protest," Saurav Das said while speaking to India Today Digital.

The protest has received support from climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, and he is likely to go to the airport to receive Abhijeet Dipke, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the London School of Economics, revealed.

Airports are sensitive zones in terms of security, and overcrowding and flocking are a strict no-no.

"We understand the sensitivity of the airport, and that is why we are still planning regarding Sonam Wangchuk visiting the airport to receive Dipke," Ranka said when India Today Digital asked him about it being a security-sensitive zone.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das addressed a press conference, in New Delhi, on Thursday and attacked the Central government on JEE data exposure, and pressed for Union Education Minister's resignation. (PTI Image)

CJP TO SEEK POLICE PERMISSION AFTER DIPKE LANDS IN DELHI

Even as Abhijeet Dipke announced that the CJP would protest at Jantar Mantar after landing in New Delhi on Saturday, the outfit's spokesperson said that they will seek permission once the founder of the campaign arrives.

"Once Dipke ji lands at the airport, we will travel along with him and seek permission from the Delhi Police to protest at Jantar Mantar," Ranka, told India Today Digital.

When asked why they hadn't already applied for permission for the planned protest, the spokespersons said that the founder's public announcement on Monday and their official press conference on Wednesday were public statements, and they were hopeful that the Delhi Police had taken note that a protest would be held.

"Dipke has publicly announced the protest, and we have even made the statement public by holding a press conference, so I'm very sure that the Delhi Police has taken cognisance and will provide us permission on Saturday," Das said.

The Cockroach Janta Party seems to be protesting against how protest permits are given in the country.

"We are against the way protests happen in this country. Seeking permission weeks prior to a protest and waiting for approval is not acceptable to us, and we are against this," Das added while speaking to India Today Digital.

An online satirical campaign that was started after the remarks of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, on unemployed young people in May, gained massive traction on social media. Within four days of opening an Instagram account, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) handle surpassed the follower count of the world's largest political party, the BJP. At present, the follower count of CJP is 22.1 million (2.2 crore) on Instagram. (PTI Image)

WILL BE PROTESTING IN PEACEFUL MANNER: CJP SPOKESPERSONS

Speaking to India Today Digital, the CJP spokespersons expressed hope about getting permission to protest in New Delhi on Saturday.

"The issue of paper leaks has not only impacted medical, school, and engineering students, but similar issues have also been witnessed in police examinations, and many young people who aspired to join the police have been affected. This is the major reason for us to be hopeful that the Delhi Police will allow us to protest," Ranka said.

However, clips of a person with no proven association with the CJP, asking protesters to keep pepper spray and sticks with them, have gone viral.

The spokespersons reiterated that they were only looking at peaceful means of protest.

"We are not protesting as a menace to the police or the public; we are opting for a peaceful protest to demand Pradhan's resignation," Ranka said.

He also said that until their demands were fulfilled, the movement would not stop, "no matter what happens".

"Delhi Police is capable of handling the security of the protesters gathering on Saturday, and we have full confidence in them," Das said. He also told India Today Digital that nobody knows what will happen in the future, and that they are not even sure whether any untoward incident might take place at the protest site.

"Nobody in history has been able to predict what will happen during a protest. The CJP is choosing only the peaceful path. This is a risky decision that we have taken, but we are confident about the Delhi Police," Das added.

The CJP is determined to go ahead with its planned protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday even if permission is denied to them. That they haven't followed the procedure to apply for permission, it says, is its protest against the system of seeking approval for protests.

- Ends