Hyderabad: Telangana’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) insists it is not a political outfit but a people’s movement to amplify social issues. On Sunday, the Telangana chapter expects around 1,000 “cockroaches” to join NEET aspirants at a protest where environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk will address the gathering.Driven largely by students aged 18-28 from law, engineering, and other academic backgrounds, the group says it has no political ambitions. Beyond education, the Telangana unit plans to campaign on environmental and urban issues, including protecting KBR Park and raising concerns over the Musi river redevelopment.“Wangchuk has consistently spoken about climate change, sustainable development and protecting fragile ecosystems. Hyderabad too is witnessing large-scale tree felling and environmental degradation in the name of development. As more young people join this movement, we want to use this platform to amplify environmental concerns and ensure that citizens have a voice in decisions that shape the city’s future,” said Sonde Ansar, a 23-year-old law student.Speaking about Sunday’s programme, CJP representative Vijay Mallangi stressed that NEET aspirants and their families would remain at the centre. “The face of Sunday’s meeting will be the students. We have reached out to several student groups and parents’ associations, and we expect a few hundred NEET aspirants to participate alongside hundreds of supporters. They deserve a transparent and fair system, and so do the generations of students who will appear for NEET in the future,” he said.People’s pressure groupBilal Syed, activist with Human Rights Forum, said the movement will function as a people’s pressure group that raises issues often ignored in mainstream political discourse. “We are not building a political party. The NEET issue is only the starting point because the future of thousands of students is at stake. In the coming months, we also intend to raise concerns over the poor infrastructure in govt schools and colleges and push for meaningful reforms,” he added.The movement has rapidly expanded online, with nearly 70-80 Telangana-based Instagram and Facebook pages collectively reaching thousands. Organisers say this surge reflects frustration among young people seeking platforms to voice civic and educational concerns.“Our immediate demand is the resignation of the Union education minister. But more importantly, Sunday’s gathering is not about slogans or confrontation. We see it as a people’s meeting where students, parents and citizens who are directly affected can come together, share their experiences and collectively decide the way forward,” said Ruchith Asha Kamal, a first year law student.
