New Delhi, July 23
What started as a meme on social media has snowballed into protest later turning into political and violent clashes affecting various parts of the country with lakhs of students joining hands to protest against the irregularities in the NEET exams. Cockroach Janta Party that calls itself the ‘Voice of India’s burnt out youth’ has turned a satire into a Gen-Z protest demanding major educational reforms.
A meme station has left the protest site of Jantar Mantar in the national capital with tear gas shells, lathi charge, injured policemen, screaming students and thousands of videos on alleged police brutality and alleged violence by protestors.
When BW POLICEWORLD visited the spot, we witnessed students shouting slogans, supporters sitting around helpless, police asking media and protestors to move however within minutes the scenario turned violent.
While students began showing aggression, the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) that has been stationed for days at Jantar Mantar began pushing protestors away. Within minutes, police began lathi charging students, students climbing on top of the barricades and running, followed by tear gas shells lobbed to reportedly control the crowd. While ambulances were seen at the spot standing stagnant, injured students were seen lying on the ground seeking help to be taken to hospital after the alleged police brutality.
The CJP protests led by Gen-Z has drawn parallel to the Gen-Z protests in Nepal pushing the government change and the anti CAA protests in the country five years ago where even the Bollywood celebrities walked in support.
The Cockroach Janta Party turned to be an overnight meme station on social media after Supreme Court Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant used the word “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing to describe a section of unemployed youth and activists.
Instead of just expressing outrage, young people ironically reclaimed the label as a badge of honor, creating a fake political party for the “lazy, unemployed, and chronically online”. Soon, this fake party turned into reels, videos and fun content.
CJP was launched in May by Abhijeet Dipke as a satirical digital outfit. Within days, it took the internet by storm and gained millions of followers across social media platforms. It also attracted support from various Opposition politicians, activists, artists, and sportspersons.
Within days, the movement’s Instagram page amassed over 15 million followers, temporarily surpassing the online presence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the platform
Dipke, who has lived in the US for the past two years, then returned to India in June to lead the protests in Delhi, calling for reforms in the education sector. He was later joined by Sonam Wangchuk, who sat on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28.
Wangchuk, 59, however, was taken to a state-run hospital by the police citing his health conditions. He then went to the court to move to a hospital of his choice, which allowed him to be admitted to Medanta in Gurugram.
CJP called for ‘peaceful protests’ called ‘Chalo Sansad’ against NEET irregularities on July 20 where thousands of students joined hands with Dipke and Wangchuk. However, after a few hours of a peaceful protest, a series of incidents led the situation where police and protests clashed with each other. While Delhi Police claimed protests turned violent, protestors were seen thrashed, slapped in an attempt to disburse the crowd.
As protests turning violent in Delhi is not a new phenomenon, the CJP protests however left the students injured who are only fighting for their future opposing the regular irregularities in NEET exams in India. Among the 150 paper leaks recorded in India in last 10 years, the latest was witnessed in May following which several students died by suicide.
The NEET paper leak is being probed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that has arrested at least 13 individuals—including doctors, teachers, and center owners—across Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, and Latur.
The protests against the NEET irregularities has been running from over two months however after the hunger strike of Sonam Wangchuk started on July 18, the story began to change. While on one side Wangchuk’s hunger strike grew tension for the government, CJP’s call for ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest for July 20 added more fuel to fire.
Students when questioned about the protests opined that neither they were in support of CJP nor Wangchuk but for the fact that the students and youth in this country are being tested again and again.
Female students/protestors were as much in number as male students/protestors at the spot. A female protestor at Jantar Mantar said, “Many people came in support till Sonam Wangchuk was there at the protest site and no one resorted to violence. However, during the Sansad Chalo protest, it was the police who began beating a few students with sticks after argument went out of hand. It was the police who began thrashing a small group of protestors and later it turned violent where protestors also began answering back”.
The Delhi Police claimed that they resorted to mild lathi charge and tear gas shells only after the situation escalated and protestors began assaulting police. However, the police and RAF were seen thrashing students in a violent manner leading to a major law and order situation in Delhi.
The Delhi Police have booked FIR regarding an incident at the Tolstoy Marg and Parliament Street intersection in connection with a viral 35-second video showed a crowd of protesters chasing, allegedly assaulting a RAF personnel during a shift change, leaving officers injured. Another FIR was booked in connection with protesters who allegedly pelted stones at security forces, injuring six officers (including two ACPs), and damaged 15 to 20 government and private vehicles.
The Delhi Police detained 70 persons for disturbing the peace and rioting but have since been released on bail. Investigators are reviewing CCTV, drone footage, and social media videos to identify more perpetrators. While the police are investigating protesters, a PIL in the Delhi High Court highlighted police excesses. Following this, Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba was removed from Jantar Mantar duties after video evidence surfaced showing him slapping a stationary female protester.
The police personnel at Jantar Mantar when asked to speak about the violence refused to speak and and shooed away media from the spot. The police had also barricaded the most part of the site and also instructed media not to cross the barricades.
The alleged police brutalities on students had led to massive protests in Mumbai where thousands of students marched in support of the CJP protests. Big league actors from Bollywood have extended their support to the protesting students- Salman Khan, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Dia Mirza, Richa Chadda, Swara Bhaskar. Actors like Imran Khan even walked with protestors in Mumbai demanding support and justice in NEET irregularity incidents.
The Mumbai Police registered 15 FIRs and booked over 1000 people after clubbing eight FIRs initially registered in the case earlier at Shivaji Park. In addition to that, to halt further momentum, the Mumbai Police have imposed strict prohibitory orders (Section 163 of BNSS) from July 23 to August 6, 2026, completely banning the public assembly of five or more people across the city without explicit permission.
The CJP protests that began on the subject of educational reforms in India has turned into a more larger scale platform for unrest and even political turmoil. The protests have now turned political with opposition parties demanding resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following which the protestors have also started voicing the same opinion. The opposition has claimed that the India has had 150 NEET paper leaks in last 10 years and the education system in the country is in shambles.
After three days of violence in the national capital, PM Narendra Modi broke his silence and announced the setting up of fast track courts in India to attend paper leak cases. However, the sit in protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi continued seeking solid solutions and not courts for disbursal.