Protests Mount Against Union Education Minister Over NEET Irregularities; CJP to Hold Second Protest Today in Delhi

New Delhi: Protests against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are intensifying over the NEET examination irregularities that have derailed the future of lakhs of students. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) will hold the second phase of its agitation demanding Pradhan's resignation at Jantar Mantar today. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called on participants to arrive carrying plates and spoons.

In a video shared on social media, Dipke said the protest, scheduled for 1 pm today, would see everyone turning up with utensils, adding that "the rest of the story, the country already knows." The "thali-banging" protest is a pointed mockery of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier call — during the COVID-19 pandemic — for citizens to clap and bang utensils, even as people struggling through the crisis were left to fend for themselves.

The fresh round of protest at Jantar Mantar comes two weeks after the first phase of the agitation. Organisers said the demonstration has received clearance from the Delhi Police.

Meanwhile, with protests over the paper leak spreading nationwide, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to conduct a mock drill today. The examination, taken by over 22 lakh students on May 3, had to be cancelled after it emerged that the question paper had been leaked. With a re-test scheduled for Sunday following massive protests, NTA officials are now scrambling to salvage the agency's credibility.