Supporters of India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party protest in New Delhi on Saturday, banging steel plates with spoons to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Hundreds of students and young supporters gather near Parliament as the nascent movement seeks broader attention and backing. The protesters cite allegations of examination irregularities and repeated exam paper leaks, and their actions add to political pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Authorities deploy heavy security for the demonstration and monitor the crowd using cameras and drones. Some participants hold placards while others join the noisy plate-banging. Several outlets describe the sound and method as satirical, linking the protest to a previous 2020 appeal by Modi to bang utensils on balconies and rooftops in solidarity with frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, described in reporting as a political communications strategist and a student, encourages supporters through social media to bring plates, helping the protest draw attention to its demand for Pradhan to step down.
