Pune Becomes the New Battleground in CJP’s Education Reform Push
Pune: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Thursday held a protest at the campus of the Savitribai Phule Pune University, marking the beginning of its nationwide campaign focused on education reforms, examination transparency and student issues.
Social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the event, where hundreds of students and supporters gathered with posters and banners. Many participants demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for reforms in the examination system.
CJP founder Abhijeet Deepke addressed the gathering and claimed that the turnout in Pune had exceeded recent protest numbers seen at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He also placed a set of demands before the government, including the restoration of the Maratha Empire map in NCERT textbooks.
During the programme, Wangchuk released the party’s education charter. The document focuses on preventing examination paper leaks, ensuring timely declaration of results, increasing transparency in recruitment and entrance examinations, strengthening accountability of examination agencies and addressing delays that affect students.
The protest also saw several symbolic displays. Some participants carried copies of the Constitution, while others displayed posters highlighting concerns over examination irregularities. One protester carried a poster aimed at drawing attention to alleged failures in the conduct of national examinations.
Nationwide Campaign to Continue
The Pune event marked the first stop in CJP’s nationwide protest campaign, which began on 11 June. According to the organisation, the next demonstration is scheduled in Lucknow on 12 June.
Deepke said he would also visit cities including Jaipur, Amritsar and Bengaluru before concluding the campaign with a gathering at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on 20 June. The party had earlier organised a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 6 June.
Deepke Rejects Claim Over Modi Photograph
Ahead of the Pune protest, Deepke addressed a press conference where he responded to a viral photograph purportedly showing him with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He described the image as AI-generated and denied claims that he had met the Prime Minister while living in the United States. His remarks came after comments by Sanjay Raut, who had alleged that Deepke met Modi before returning to India.
How CJP Was Formed
The origins of the Cockroach Janata Party can be traced to remarks made by Justice Surya Kant during a court hearing on 15 May. Referring to unemployed youth in a broader discussion, he used a comparison that later triggered debate on social media.
The following day, Deepke announced the formation of the Cockroach Janata Party and launched its social media presence. On 22 May, he started an online campaign seeking the resignation of the Education Minister over examination-related issues.
The party claims that more than 800,000 people have supported the online petition. It has also recorded rapid growth on social media platforms, particularly among young users.
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