The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has criticised Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan by using US pop star Taylor Swift’s hit song Anti-Hero.
In a video montage shared by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, clips of Pradhan were synced with the song’s opening lyric, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” It portrayed the Union minister being responsible for the controversies surrounding the country’s education system.
As the song continues with the line, “At tea time,” the video cuts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referencing his association with tea through his past as a tea seller and his recurring Chai Pe Charcha outreach programme. The following lyric, “everybody agrees,” is accompanied by visuals of the ongoing CJP protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. “Anti-hero,” the caption read.
CJP protest at Jantar Mantar
The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20. They demand Pradhan’s resignation over a series of alleged failures in the education system. The group has cited repeated examination paper leaks, irregularities in evaluation processes and lack of accountability for student suicides. Activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the protest site since June 28, demanding education reforms and statehood for Ladakh.
The organisation has cited multiple controversies, including the NEET paper leak, which led to the examination being cancelled and rescheduled more than a month later. It also referred to the 2024 NEET paper leak, alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, and the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, which forced the examination to be postponed.
‘Birthday’ and ‘blood’
PM Modi’s birthday message to Pradhan came while the protests were underway on June 26. Modi said Pradhan was “making commendable efforts” towards education in the country.
Mahua Moitra joined the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on July 4 and called for Pradhan’s resignation. Addressing the gathering, the Trinamool Congress MP said the future of more than three crore students and job aspirants were at stake while those in power were busy wishing each other “Happy Birthday”.
“Celebrate birthdays if you want. But don’t write ‘Happy Birthday’ on a cake with the blood of our children,” she said.
‘B-team of terrorists’
The latest video comes days after Pradhan drew criticism for describing sections of protesting youth and the CJP as the “B-team of terrorists.”
This drew a sharp response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who demanded the minister apologise and resign. Calling the remarks an example of the government’s “arrogance of power”, Rahul Gandhi said students seeking fair examinations and a secure future should not be branded as terrorists.
“Dharmendra Pradhan, immediately apologise to the millions of youth in this country and resign for your failures,” he said. He also accused the government of turning the education system into an “extortion racket”.
Abhijeet Dipke also hit back at Pradhan, saying alleging the minister had “the blood of more than 17 students on his hands.”
Earlier, Dipke shared a video of the father of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Ahmedabad who allegedly died by suicide on June 18. In the video, the grieving father questioned how his son and other students could be labelled “terrorists”, and told Dipke, “My son is just like everyone else… Show them my son.”
