The national capital’s Jantar Mantar saw noisy and symbolic protests on Saturday as hundreds of demonstrators congregated under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), hailing slogans of ‘Go Pradhan Go,’ and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
A still from the demonstration
The protest kicked off after 1 pm, with participants carrying plates and spoons and creating a rhythmic din by banging utensils together. The demonstration marked the CJP’s second major mobilisation in the national capital after its June 6 gathering at Jantar Mantar, where students and youngsters had voiced concerns over alleged exam irregularities.
Notably, similar protests had also unfolded in other cities such as Lucknow, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Hyderabad.
Symbolic protest draws inspiration from COVID-19 era gesture
The CJP’s decision to use plates and spoons as protest tools was a deliberate symbolic gesture by the organisers.
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke humorously claimed that vibrations generated by banging utensils could bring about meaningful change, referencing the nationwide utensil-banging exercise witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move appeared to be a direct allusion to an appeal made by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in March 2020, when citizens across the country were encouraged to clap and bang utensils in appreciation of frontline workers battling the pandemic.
People participating in the demonstration
Dipke’s open letter to PM Modi raises concerns over student suicides
Ahead of the demonstration, Dipke used social media platforms to encourage supporters to participate in large numbers and bring plates and spoons. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das also appealed to artists and musicians to join the protest and lend their voices to the campaign.
On Friday, Dipke had addressed an open letter to PM Modi, underlining what he described as a growing crisis affecting students across the country.
Dipke's letter to PM Modi
In the letter, he urged the Centre to provide compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid controversies surrounding exams and recruitment processes. He claimed that 11 students had taken the drastic step in recent weeks.