A protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET controversy appeared to witness poor turnout on its third day, despite the movement being heavily promoted on social media and associated with online personalities claiming support from millions of followers.
Reporting from the protest site, observers noted that large sections of the designated demonstration area remained largely empty, with security personnel and media representatives reportedly outnumbering participants. According to those present, the crowd fell far short of expectations generated by CJP’s extensive online reach, which supporters claim extends to over 22 million followers.
The protest, centred on demands for accountability over alleged irregularities in NEET examinations and calls for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, was described by organisers as a “peaceful protest.” However, several controversial statements made by participants raised questions about the nature of the rhetoric being aired from the protest venue.
Several attendees interviewed at the site expressed frustration over the government’s handling of examination issues. Some participants argued that online support does not necessarily translate into physical mobilisation, claiming many young people prefer to express support through social media rather than attend demonstrations in person. Others cited ongoing examinations, employment commitments and personal obligations as reasons for the lower turnout.
One participant from Mustafabad argued that many students who post supportive comments online do not feel personally affected by the issue and therefore choose not to participate physically. Another protester said he had travelled from Rajasthan on his day off despite his own children already being settled in their careers, claiming he was concerned about the future prospects of coming generations.
As attendance remained thin, organisers and speakers reportedly attempted to broaden the movement’s appeal by announcing that farmer organisations would join the agitation later in the day. Speakers suggested that support from farmers could help sustain the protest after attempts to mobilise students had failed to attract large numbers.
The most controversial moments emerged during interactions with some participants who launched personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP. One protester alleged that “RSS goons” were responsible for examination leaks and called on people to surround BJP workers and “beat them away.” The same individual described Prime Minister Modi as a “fake Prime Minister” and claimed he had come to power through dishonesty.
One participant, identified as Javed Ahmad from Gorakhpur, launched a tirade against the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS. Alleging that examination leaks were being orchestrated by RSS members, he claimed, “these two Gujaratis are goons. They aren’t politicians. You will never be able to defeat them by fighting through legal means. You have to fight goons with goons. These two have reduced the entire country to dust. Regarding the NEET exam – RSS goons have infiltrated the system; they are the ones orchestrating everything. To teach them a lesson, you need to take to the streets; gherao the BJP members and drive them away, only then will the country be set right.”
He added, “You know, when the Congress government was in power, these same RSS goons used to create havoc and vandalism, burning things down, and Congress would get intimidated. They are looting India. In the last 10 years, they have created an army of the unemployed. What will they do in the next 5 or 10 years? They will ruin the entire nation. If you don’t provide employment to the youth or keep them occupied, what else will they do? Just think about it, they are destroying the whole country. This isn’t the right way. You need to corner them and demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation actually; it should be Narendra Modi’s resignation. He is a fake Prime Minister. He isn’t an elected Prime Minister; he has become the PM solely through thuggery and dishonesty. Narendra Modi ought to resign. Dharmendra Pradhan is just a mere crony; the real strategy is being orchestrated by Amit Shah and Modi. You should absolutely write here that Narendra Modi must resign, he is a ‘fake’ Prime Minister, not a truly elected one”.
He continued, “Look, brother, sacrifices must be made to save the country; you cannot save it without sacrifice. They have sold off the railways and everything else. That is the kind of thing needed to bring about a change in power – our government needs to change. Brother, this is exactly what should happen to them. Unless the youth step forward, we won’t be able to oust them. Not like Nepal, remove them peacefully. It is peaceful; the process is peaceful. But what results are we getting here? What is the outcome of this?”
He further said, “This matter will blow over in a few days. I have been in Delhi for 30-35 years. This is a protest. They could have held the protest anywhere – from here to there, or on that road. But they shut everything down; they allocated only a tiny space. They don’t even want the protest to happen. They’ve put an end to that too. Just look. My name is Javed Ahmed. I belong to Gorakhpur, from Yogi’s home turf.”
When asked if the UP CM was doing well, he said, “Yogi ‘Baba’ isn’t following the Constitution. He isn’t acting in accordance with the Constitution. If you are taking action against goons, there must be transparency. You can’t just spare the BJP goons while rounding up SP or BSP goons and running bulldozers over them. I have a whole list of who the goons are in BJP. Give me two or three names, please. Brij Bhushan who is he? He confessed to murder on stage, he admitted, “I committed murder.” Why isn’t action being taken against him? Why isn’t there any action? He is within the BJP; he travels by helicopter.”
When asked what the people standing at the protest must actually do, he said, “They need to change the government, somehow, this government must be changed. That is the goal, and there is a specific way to achieve it. In the past, there used to be mass movements. What was their purpose? To change public opinion, to shift the public mindset. But no matter how much you protest, does it make a difference? Because they have a grip on the electoral process. Protests happen to sway the public’s mind, but… well, elections will happen now. Look, they engage in just enough rigging to ensure their government gets formed. Suppose there are 70 seats here; they won’t rig all 70. They might rig 45 or 46 seats, just enough to make people wonder, “How did they win?””
When asked whether he agreed that the current method was the right one to force the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan or Modi, he said, “The method is fine, but… well, it is fine, but it needs to be even tougher.”
Another protestor/supporter butts in to say, “Stop them, corner them and shoot them. There is no better way to deal with Modi. Shoot Modi and Amit Shah, that’s how things will get sorted out.”
He identified himself as Sunil Nautiyal, and continued to say, “I’ll kill him, I’ll kill him.”
He continued, “Back in 2010, before he became PM, I spoke to a Gujarati man in Haridwar. He said that if Modi became Prime Minister, the country would be set right. I told him then and I told everyone at the time that if he became Prime Minister, he would unleash hooliganism in this country. And today, since 2014, the atmosphere is visible…”
The CJP protest at Jantar Mantar appears to be taking a disturbing turn. What began as a sit-in over students’ demands has now seen calls to shoot PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Has the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest been hijacked by disruptive elements? Is a larger… pic.twitter.com/a0ypJncNoi
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) June 23, 2026
The remarks stood in stark contrast to the event’s branding as a “Peaceful Protest.” While organisers presented the agitation as a non-violent movement seeking accountability over the NEET controversy, some participants made inflammatory statements, including calls for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to be removed through extra-constitutional means. Some wanted to “teach a lesson” to BJP workers, while another invoked the examples of Nepal and Sri Lanka and suggested similar developments should take place in India. The references to shooting Modi and Amit Shah, raises serious questions about the nature of the protest and the narrative being set at an event ostensibly organised in the interest of students and educational reform.
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