Jaipur: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has launched a nationwide campaign against Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the recent suicides of seven NEET aspirants, several other paper leaks, and the collapse of the education system, will hold a demonstration at Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak on June 15.
Though they haven’t received permission from the police to hold a demonstration at Shaheed Smarak, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said they are hopeful.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and social activist Sonam Wangchuk would be participating in the demonstration. Ranka said issues like paper leaks, exam irregularities, and the decline of educational infrastructure, calling on citizens to join the movement while carrying copies of the Constitution and national flags to signify their commitment to reform.
Ranka said the protest aims to highlight the “collapse” of the country’s education system, citing repeated paper leaks, examination irregularities, poor infrastructure in schools and universities, and the lack of employment and skill development opportunities for youth.
He said that if Pradhan remains in office, meaningful reforms are impossible and said the movement has emerged as a platform for young people demanding accountability and urgent repair of the education system. Ranka said similar protests seeking the education minister’s resignation have been held across the country and alleged that 1 crore young people have been affected by several paper leaks in the past month. He said OMR sheet manipulation and controversies surrounding recruitment examinations, including the SI and REET paper leaks, have become a recurring feature in Rajasthan.
He criticised the condition of education in Rajasthan, pointing to the reported closure threat facing thousands of schools and infrastructure issues in educational institutions. “In Rajasthan, school roofs are collapsing, and children have lost their lives, and 10,000 schools are on the verge of shutting down. At Rajasthan University, classes are not being held, many teaching positions remain vacant, and exams are not being conducted. Youths are neither getting jobs nor gaining skill development. The govt hasn’t been able to conduct the RAS and constable recruitment exams as per its calendar,” he said.
As for the criticism that there is no woman spokesperson, Ranka said the movement enjoys strong support from women, who make up about 55% of its social media community and lead several teams. However, some women considering spokesperson roles withdrew after facing online abuse, including rape threats and doxxing. Despite this, the movement continues efforts to ensure greater female representation, he said.
