NEW DELHI (Gurpreet Singh): Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke escalated the youth-led agitation over examination irregularities on Sunday, directly appealing to India’s farming community to join the ongoing demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. Entering its second day, the protest has intensified into an overnight sit-in following alleged leaks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, alongside widespread demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Dipke emphasized that because students previously stood shoulder to shoulder with farmers during their historic rights agitations, the youth now rightfully require reciprocal solidarity to sustain their own movement.
The demonstration, which drew hundreds of youths on Saturday, encountered immediate resistance from law enforcement by Saturday evening. Delhi Police made repeated public announcements ordering the crowd to vacate the premises, clarifying that the official permission granted for the gathering explicitly expired at 5:00 p.m. While a significant portion of the crowd dispersed, Dipke and several student leaders affiliated with the All India Students Association defied the eviction orders to hold the fort through the night. The CJP founder also issued an open appeal to NEET re-exam aspirants to finish their tests and report directly to the protest site to bolster numbers.
Tensions flared overnight as protesters accused the police of attempting to disrupt the peaceful assembly by switching off streetlights and cutting off access to basic amenities, including food, washrooms, and drinking water. Dipke took to social media to document the restrictions and flag concerns over potential detentions, though authorities later restored water access and lighting as the night progressed. While the Delhi Police reiterated that continuing the protest past designated hours constitutes an illegal violation of Supreme Court guidelines governing Jantar Mantar, the CJP leadership remains firm. Dipke stated that channels for dialogue with the Centre remain entirely open, provided that administrative accountability is fixed and the education minister steps down
