CJP Digs In at Jantar Mantar for Day 3: Wangchuk's Hunger-Strike Clock Ticking, Farmers Expected to Join

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held its ground at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Monday, extending its sit-in protest into a third consecutive day as founder Abhijeet Dipke renewed his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the May 3 NEET-UG paper leak . The agitation, which began on Saturday afternoon, entered the week showing no signs of dissolution, with farmer unions expected to join the ranks through the day, a development that could significantly broaden the movement’s political footprint.

The overnight vigil from Sunday to Monday continued under Delhi Police deployment , with barricades and security personnel surrounding the protest site. Volunteers were seen distributing food and drinking water to participants through the night, a gesture that has become a defining image of the sit-in. Delhi Police, however, drew sharp criticism from Dipke , who alleged that officers were seeking Aadhaar card details and addresses of people donating even basic supplies such as water and bananas to protesters.

Sunday’s protest site had witnessed sloganeering, speeches, and cultural performances , with supporters clapping, playing daflis , and singing patriotic songs, drawing over 200 people by evening according to organisers. Dipke also used the occasion to appeal to NEET re-examination candidates to join the protest after completing their test, the re-exam having been scheduled for Sunday, June 21. The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the re-examination across the country and at multiple international centres, with over 20 lakh candidates appearing at thousands of exam centres under strict security measures, including biometric verification, CCTV surveillance, and signal jammers . Officials later stated that the process remained smooth and no paper leak complaints were received.

A key development over the weekend was the participation of Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk , who announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from June 27 if Pradhan does not step down. Wangchuk, who addressed the protest site on Saturday, offered flowers before photographs of aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the paper leak allegations and invoked Mahatma Gandhi while calling for peaceful and principled resistance.

Dipke has also demanded ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after the paper leak controversy and cancellation of the medical entrance examination. He reiterated that the channel for dialogue with the Centre remains open, but only on the condition that the education minister resigns first. The standoff with Delhi Police, which had denied permission to extend the Saturday protest beyond 5 pm, led Dipke to warn that if protesters were being told their time was over, then the minister’s time in office should also be considered over.

The CJP , founded on May 16 in response to Chief Justice Surya Kant’s remark allegedly comparing critics and unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites of society,” has since amassed over 20 million Instagram followers and more than 350,000 sign-ups . This marks the movement’s second sustained sit-in at Jantar Mantar, with organisers stating that the agitation will continue until its demands are met.