Hundreds of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters, mostly school, college students and youth, gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, responding to a protest call by the group demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG question paper leak and other exam irregularities.
Many of the protesters were seen wearing cockroach masks and holding flowers. School students were also seen attending the protest along with their parents. The protestors chanted slogans demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who reached the protest site hours after landing in Delhi on Saturday morning, had urged the protesters to offer flowers to the policemen and lead the agitation with "love and peace."
He also urged them to carry a book and the tricolour.
"Landed. Looking forward to meet you all at Jantar Mantar. Do not forget to carry a book and our Tiranga! Offer flowers to policemen as a gesture of compassion & gratitude. We have to lead this movement with love and peace!" he wrote in a post on X.
Earlier, the CJP supporters were urged to come to Parliament Street Police Station to jointly seek permission for the protest. However, later the CJP informed that the Delhi Police had granted permission for the protest, and asked the supporters to gather at Jantar Mantar.
"Delhi Police has granted permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar. We can now assemble directly at Jantar Mantar, and no longer need to go to the Parliament Street Police Station, as originally planned," the CJP said in a post on X.
"Cockroaches aa rahe hain, Dharmendra Pradhan jaa rahe hain (cockroaches are coming, Dharmendra Pradhan is leaving)" it added.
Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed at the residence of Abhijeet Dipke in Waluj MIDC area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city in Maharashtra.
Police said the security cover has been expanded to avoid unnecessary crowding at the residence.
Security arrangements have also been strengthened across Delhi, including at the IGI Airport, major railway stations, inter-state bus terminals, and border points connecting the national capital with neighbouring states.
Around 40 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed to assist the Delhi Police in maintaining law and order, sources said.
Senior officers, including Joint Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners of Police, Additional DCPs and ACPs from various districts, have been assigned field duties to supervise security arrangements.
The CJP, a digital platform launched by Dipke in response to the NEET-UG question paper leak, has garnered significant support online, mainly from the country's youth.
The group aims to step up from a satirical online platform to an organised campaign with the proposed protest at the Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, over alleged irregularities in NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC examinations.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has expressed support for the protest and stated that he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke is arrested.
More than 1,000 police personnel have been earmarked for deployment across the New Delhi district and other strategic locations as part of preventive security measures, sources said.
Multiple layers of barricading were put in place at sensitive locations, while vehicle-checking drives were intensified on routes leading to central Delhi and other strategic points in the city.
Officials said that security was also strengthened outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a precautionary measure.
According to police sources, senior officers reviewed the security situation and directed field units to remain vigilant.
Reserve forces have been kept on standby to deal with any contingency.
The Special Branch is monitoring developments across all districts to ensure that no one attempts to disturb public order under the guise of the protest, officials said.
Social media activity linked to the gathering is also being closely monitored.
Police are also in touch with private cab aggregators to assess movement patterns and monitor any unusual surge in bookings towards Jantar Mantar and nearby areas, sources said.
Officials informed that metro services would continue to operate normally, while adequate arrangements had been made to ensure smooth movement of commuters and prevent any disruption to public life.
Police maintained that sufficient security arrangements were in place and that the situation remained under control.
The Delhi High Court had on Friday declined to urgently hear a plea flagging law and order concerns over the protest.
(With inputs from PTI)
