By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
In one of the biggest protests, the Central Delhi on Monday witnessed high drama as thousands of youths poured onto the streets during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest demanding the dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged paper leak controversy.
A call had been made to march on parliament by the CJP which began as an internet-driven group, founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May. It has swiftly mobilised into a serious political party. Congress and several other opposition parties are supporting CJP.
The protest, which began peacefully, escalated into clashes after demonstrators attempted to march towards key government buildings, prompting police to use lathi charges and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
The protesters, many of them students and youth activists, raised slogans against the Centre, accusing it of failing to ensure transparency and fairness in competitive examinations. They alleged that repeated incidents of question paper leaks had shattered the confidence of lakhs of aspirants and demanded immediate accountability from the Union Education Ministry.
As the crowd swelled in central Delhi, police erected barricades at several strategic locations to prevent the protesters from moving towards the high-security zones. When demonstrators allegedly tried to breach the barricades, security personnel intervened, leading to tense scenes. Police resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas shells to push back the protesters and restore order, videos which have gone viral on the social media, showed.
Actress Shabana Azmi who also participated in the demonstration, fell ill.
Eyewitnesses said several protesters suffered minor injuries during the scuffles, while many were seen running through the streets to escape the tear gas. The protest also caused traffic disruptions in parts of central Delhi for several hours as police diverted vehicles from key roads.
Police detained dozens of protesters, including several young women, from different locations in central Delhi. They were taken away in buses and police vehicles as authorities intensified efforts to prevent the agitation from spreading. Senior police officers monitored the situation, while additional security personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
The protest was organised by youth groups demanding the resignation of the Education Minister, alleging that repeated examination irregularities had jeopardised the future of students across the country. The demonstrators also called for a transparent investigation into the alleged paper leak cases and stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The government has maintained that action has been taken against those involved in examination malpractices and has defended the steps initiated to strengthen the examination system. However, opposition parties have continued to target the Centre, claiming that repeated paper leaks have exposed serious shortcomings in the conduct of competitive examinations.
With tensions remaining high, police kept a tight vigil across central Delhi to prevent any further escalation. Authorities said the situation was brought under control after the dispersal of protesters, though security arrangements would remain in place in anticipation of more demonstrations in the coming days.
CJP: Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been at J.P. Nadda’s residence. The demands have been conveyed, including immediate resignation/sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan. The Minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met!