NEW DELHI: Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), made serious allegations on Sunday, claiming that numerous farmers’ leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from participating in the party’s ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

This accusation emerges as the CJP ramps up its campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in light of the recent NEET-UG paper leak incident.

In a post shared on the platform X, Dipke stated, “Many farmers’ leaders from UP, Haryana, and Punjab are being placed under house arrest to prevent them from joining us at Jantar Mantar.” He encouraged individuals to participate in the protest starting Sunday at 11 am, broadening the party’s agitation against the central government.

Just a day before, Dipke criticized the government concerning the Maharashtra Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, arguing that it further highlights the authorities’ inability to conduct competitive examinations with integrity. He reiterated his demand for Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged irregularities linked to various examinations.

During a press conference in New Delhi, Dipke commented that the cancellation of the Maharashtra TET, which followed the purported leak of parts of the examination paper, coincided closely with the NEET scandal. The Maharashtra government had to postpone the TET 2026 examination just a day prior to the scheduled date due to the alleged leak, resulting in the arrest of three individuals in Bhiwandi, whom the police accused of being part of an inter-state syndicate.

Dipke remarked, “First NEET, now Maharashtra TET exam got leaked and called off at the last minute. Students and teachers have been raising alarms about TET scams since 2017, yet the authorities would rather push our youth into a dead end than rectify the system.”

He asserted, “It is now evident; the TET paper leak in Maharashtra demonstrates that whether at the state or national level, the BJP government cannot conduct even a single exam efficiently. Their focus lies in dismantling political parties and luring MLAs and MPs instead.”

Furthermore, he questioned the sources of funding for various political activities, asking, “Where is the money coming from to buy MPs?”

The Cockroach Janta Party, which initially commenced as a satirical digital platform, has been engaged in a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since June 20, advocating for Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak controversy.

Dipke also alleged that the government appears “unconcerned” about the future of students and urged young people to raise their voices against the continuous occurrence of examination leaks.

In a noteworthy addition to the campaign demanding Pradhan’s resignation, educationist and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk is expected to join the protest at Jantar Mantar from Sunday and initiate an indefinite fast.

Earlier on Friday, Dipke launched a nationwide “Pradhan Go Back” campaign, appealing to students, parents, teachers, farmer groups, and civil society organizations to join the protest at Jantar Mantar on June 28.