The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday launched a nationwide campaign against alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment processes, with its founder Abhijeet Dipke announcing that the group would release an education manifesto and intensify its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Dipke said the movement would begin from the campus of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and would remain peaceful and within the framework of the Constitution.
"We are starting our nationwide protest from today at the SPPU. The protest will be peaceful and within the framework of the Constitution. Today, we will be releasing our education manifesto," he said.
According to Dipke, the manifesto focuses on measures to prevent question paper leaks, ensure timely declaration of examination results, improve transparency in recruitment and entrance examinations, strengthen accountability of examination authorities and address difficulties faced by students due to delays and alleged irregularities.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is expected to participate in the protest programme.
Dipke said the campaign would travel to several cities, including Jaipur, Lucknow, Amritsar and Bengaluru, before culminating in a gathering at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on June 20.
"We will not return until we get the resignation of the education minister, who is responsible for jeopardising the future of more than one crore students," he claimed.
The CJP founder said the organisation remained open to dialogue with the government but alleged that authorities had instead taken action against the group's social media accounts.
Also read: CJP chief warns of nationwide strike, says youth won't back down
"CJP is a big message for the country. The government cannot ignore the youth. Instead of calling us fake, try to understand the issues and problems faced by the youth in the country," he said.
The press conference also touched upon a purported photograph circulating on social media that appeared to show Dipke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States.
Referring to the image, Sanjay Raut said he had received the photograph and was gathering information about it.
Dipke dismissed the claim, saying the image appeared to be generated using artificial intelligence.
"How can I meet the prime minister? I was just a student in the US. Everyone knows how strict the protocols are for meeting the prime minister," he said, adding that he had been searching for a job in the United States until about two weeks ago.
The group has gained prominence through social media campaigns focused on examination-related concerns and recently organised a protest at Jantar Mantar on June 6, where students from different parts of the country gathered to demand accountability over alleged examination irregularities.
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