Campus Times | Lucknow

Distancing themselves from the ideology of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), several students and government job aspirants who participated in a protest at Lucknow’s Eco Garden on Friday said their support was limited to issues related to examination reforms and recruitment transparency.

Students back the cause, not the party

Anshuman Kumar, a government job aspirant from Prayagraj, said he had joined the protest solely to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the UP Police recruitment examination.

I do not support any political party, including the Cockroach Janata Party. I am here to protest against the alleged irregularities in the UP Police recruitment process. If any organisation raises students’ issues and fights for transparency, we will support that cause, he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Gitanshu, a student from Lucknow, said his participation was driven by concerns over flaws in the examination system rather than support for CJP’s ideology.

The Cockroach Janata Party’s ideology is against the country’s culture and values, and I do not support it. My protest is against the system and the irregularities taking place in examinations. The authorities must address these issues and ensure fair and transparent recruitment and examination processes, he said.

Gitanshu further claimed that CJP’s ideological positions were not aligned with national interests, adding that many students at the protest were supporting the movement only because it highlighted issues affecting aspirants.

Many students are standing with this campaign only because it is raising concerns related to examinations and recruitment. If the organisation deviates from students’ issues, it will lose our support, he added.

Hundreds gather at eco garden

Hundreds of students, government job aspirants and members of various student organisations gathered at Eco Garden to protest alleged examination irregularities and recurring paper leak incidents. The demonstration was led by Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and was part of a nationwide campaign demanding greater accountability in the conduct of competitive examinations and recruitment processes.

Students preparing for teaching, medical, administrative, revenue and other government recruitment examinations assembled at the protest site carrying placards and banners. Protesters raised slogans against paper leaks and what they described as repeated failures in ensuring fair and transparent examinations.

Student organisations join protest

Several student organisations, including the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), participated in the demonstration. Protesters alleged that controversies surrounding examinations such as NEET, UP Police recruitment, Lekhpal recruitment and other competitive tests had eroded candidates’ confidence and adversely affected the future of lakhs of students and job seekers.

Key demands: accountability and reform

The demonstrators demanded stronger safeguards against paper leaks, time-bound investigations into examination-related controversies and greater accountability from agencies responsible for conducting recruitment and entrance examinations.

One of the key demands raised during the protest was the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the handling of examination-related controversies, particularly those linked to the NEET paper leak case. Protesters argued that fixing accountability was essential to restoring public trust in the examination system.

Abhijeet Dipke arrived in Lucknow from Pune late on Thursday night. Although there was initial uncertainty regarding permission for the gathering, the administration later approved the protest at the designated venue. Following the approval, organisers appealed to aspirants to participate in large numbers.