Hyderabad: Dharna Chowk, usually the venue for political rallies and union-led agitations, witnessed a different kind of gathering on Sunday. Under a makeshift tent at Indira Park, people from diverse professions and age groups — including students, lawyers, engineers, doctors, artists, IT professionals and senior citizens — came together to participate in the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) debut event in the city.The agenda: to protest against the alleged NEET paper leak and irregularities in the education system. They also demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The atmosphere was energetic but largely peaceful. Protesters waved placards demanding accountability and chanted slogans such as “Samvidhan Zindabad”, “Chatra Ekta Zindabad”, “Paper Leak Nahi, Democratic Revolution” and “This Is Not a Paper Leak, It Is a Paper Sale”. Some held handwritten posters highlighting issues ranging from education and unemployment to corruption and governance.The agitation, supported by the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the youth wing of the CPI, also drew participation from noted environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, political analyst Prof K Nageshwar and former Telangana Education Commission chairperson Akunuri Murali along with CJP spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya.Addressing the gathering, Wangchuk said the movement was not about gaining political power but about correcting systemic failures affecting young people. “This is a movement to correct the wrong that is happening in the country, especially with the youth. This is an awakening,” he said. He stressed that the agitation should not remain limited to examination issues alone and called for broader civic engagement. Referring to Hyderabad’s Save KBR movement, Wangchuk praised citizens who had resisted environmental degradation and urged people to continue questioning govts regardless of which party was in power. He said societies progress only when they move beyond hatred and focus on accountability, harmony and development. As speeches progressed, curious passers-by stopped to listen, with several eventually joining the gathering. Many attendees said they had discovered the movement through social media and were attending a public protest for the first time.Meanwhile, urging Pradhan to take moral responsibility for the repeated examination controversies, Prof Nageshwar highlighted that former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had resigned as railway minister following a major train accident and said ministers today should similarly accept responsibility for failures occurring under their watch. Murali questioned the quality of higher education and employability among graduates. Pointing out how only 6% (approx.) graduates were considered job-ready, he asked why the remaining 94% were not being equipped with the skills needed for employment. CJP spokesperson Dahiya said the movement was seeking justice for students affected by examination irregularities, particularly NEET and CBSE aspirants. “Accountability must be fixed. Paper leaks cannot continue to happen repeatedly,” she said.
