The student-led agitation against examination paper leaks and unemployment gathered momentum on Saturday, with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke issuing a public appeal for a “Parliament March” on July 20 even as the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar drew support from political leaders and academics.
In a video message posted on X, Dipke urged parents to join the march, saying repeated examination failures and paper leaks had undermined years of hard work by students and the financial sacrifices made by their families while preparing for competitive examinations such as NEET and JEE.
Addressing parents, he said the march was for securing the future of students whose aspirations were jeopardised by repeated examination lapses. He alleged that despite years of preparation and substantial financial investment, students’ efforts were being negated by the government’s failure to prevent paper leaks.
Dipke appealed to the public to participate in the “peaceful Parliament March”, scheduled to begin from Jantar Mantar at 9 am on July 20.
Meanwhile, the CJP said several political leaders and public intellectuals would join the protest site on Sunday in solidarity with students demanding accountability over repeated paper leaks, examination failures and unemployment.
According to CJP spokesperson, former Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja, former Kerala Finance Minister and MLA KN Balagopal, and former Minister P Rajeev are expected to interact with students participating in the protest.
The CJP also said Samajwadi Party MP Pushpendra Saroj would address the gathering later in the day in support of the students’ demands for a transparent and accountable examination system.
Economist Jayati Ghosh is scheduled to deliver a public lecture on “The Economics of Unemployment”.
The CJP said the protest was continuing to attract support from elected representatives, academics and citizens from across the country as it sought systemic reforms to prevent paper leaks and ensure fairness in public examinations.