New Delhi

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the online youth collective Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Saturday accused the government of targeting the group's social media presence instead of responding to its demands, which include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment processes.

Dipke addressed supporters at Jantar Mantar during a demonstration that drew a large gathering of young people and was conducted under tight security arrangements across the national capital.

Calling the campaign a prolonged battle, Dipke said the group had been demanding Pradhan's resignation through social media platforms for over a month. However, instead of addressing the issues raised, authorities had allegedly focused on suppressing the movement's online voice.

"My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we began demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media. But instead of acting, they have been busy with other things -- hacking our accounts and getting our posts removed. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot remove us from this space," he told an enthusiastic crowd.

Dipke also acknowledged the support of activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying Wangchuk would soon join the gathering.

Reflecting on his arrival in Delhi earlier in the day, Dipke said that as his flight approached landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, he felt as though he was experiencing his "last moments of freedom."

"I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause," he said.

The CJP founder further alleged that fear of imprisonment had compelled many people to compromise. However, he asserted that students and young people had remained steadfast.

"Lekin is desh ka chatra, yuva nahi bika hai (The students and youth of this country have not sold themselves)," he said, drawing loud applause from the audience.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Jantar Mantar, the majority of them young people. Many participants wore cockroach masks, carried flowers and waved the national flag. School students attended alongside their parents, while college students and young professionals also turned up in significant numbers.

The protesters repeatedly raised slogans demanding accountability in examination-related controversies and called for the education minister's resignation.

Ahead of the protest, Dipke had appealed to supporters to maintain discipline and ensure that the demonstration remained peaceful.

Sonam Wangchuk, who has publicly backed the movement, had earlier said that he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke was arrested.

In a message posted on X before the gathering, Dipke urged participants to bring books and the national flag. He also encouraged them to present flowers to police personnel as a gesture of "compassion and gratitude," stressing that the movement should be guided by "love and peace."

The protest was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth-driven online initiative demanding transparency and accountability in alleged irregularities linked to examinations and recruitment tests, including NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC.

Security arrangements were intensified across Delhi ahead of the demonstration. Police officials said additional personnel had been deployed at the airport, border checkpoints and other sensitive areas.

More than 1,000 police personnel were stationed at strategic locations across the city as a precautionary measure.

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In the lead-up to the event, the CJP had circulated guidelines urging supporters to avoid confrontation and adhere to non-violent methods. Reiterating that message, Dipke once again appealed for respectful engagement with law enforcement authorities throughout the protest.