Sonam Wangchuk To Join Cockroach Janta Party Protest On June 6, Demands Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation

New Delhi: Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday declared that he would join the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest in Delhi on June 6 if the government fails to take action by June 5. Through posts on X and Instagram, Wangchuk threw his weight behind the movement’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He stressed that accountability was essential when systemic failures affect millions of students and the country’s future.

Wangchuk's announcement followed CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's hint that a prominent public figure would support the campaign. Dipke built anticipation online, posting “The wait is over” on X, while the group’s backup handle ‘Cockroach Is Back’ teased a major announcement. Within hours, Wangchuk confirmed his participation, turning the satirical party’s call into a headline national issue.

Making the announcement, Wangchuk framed his decision as more than a reaction to recent exam controversies. He said that the protest reflected deeper concerns about education in India and announced that he had spoken directly with Dipke and reviewed material shared by him. He termed Dipke’s motives as patriotic and asserted that he was convinced that the movement voiced genuine anxiety among young people.

Support Tied To Deadline

Wangchuk made his stance clear in a social media post, setting a firm deadline for the government. “I will be joining the CJP members in Delhi on 6th June if nothing changes by 5th June. Any self respecting minister should resign if things go so wrong... Not to mention the effect on millions of young lives and in fact the future of India,” he wrote.

In a video message, he explained why he was lending his voice to the CJP. He said that he had urged his followers to assess whether the CJP truly represented Indian youth or was the product of foreign influence. After Dipke reached out and shared data, Wangchuk said that he was persuaded by the founder’s intent. 

“Friends, in the last post, I told you guys, the cockroaches, to prove, to convince, that the Cockroach Janata Party is an expression of the Indian youth, and not a conspiracy of foreign powers. After this, many of you have written about this in the comments, and Dipke ji contacted me, I spoke to him, and he shared this data with me, which I am sharing with you now. And after talking to him, I felt that he has no wrong intentions, he is very patriotic, but he is making a sacrifice, a sacrifice, to improve the country,” he said.

Concerns Beyond Exam Row

Wangchuk stressed that while the latest trigger for the June 6 protest was the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the problem extended far beyond NEET, CUET and CBSE disputes. He pointed to his 4 decades of work in education, particularly in remote government schools, and emphasised that the lack of tangible change was disheartening. 

“And you must have also seen, that on 6th January, he is calling people in Delhi, so that we can ask for the resignation of the Education Minister. Now, the reason for him and you guys, can be the NEET papers, or CUET and CBSE exams. But for me, this is a bigger issue. Look, since the last 4 decades, I have been fighting for education. As soon as I finished engineering, I started improving education, that too in government schools, in remote villages. And when I don't see any change, I feel disappointed, and I feel the need to do something,” he stated.

He acknowledged that policy documents such as the National Education Policy (NEP) and the vision of a developed India by 2047 were encouraging, but asserted that implementation on the ground remained weak. Sharing footage of children studying in poor conditions, he questioned whether the 2047 goal could be met without urgent reform. 

“So, the big issue is, what is happening with our education? Very good policies are coming, for which I am very happy. You must have seen the new education policy. But how much is being implemented on it, how much is being done on the ground, I am very disappointed to see that. Similarly, you must have seen, there is an initiative of developed India. Now, who doesn't like developed India? But if you look at its implementation, you may be disappointed. Will India develop in 2047 or not? If you want to see this, then I have a magical solution. See their condition, and you tell me, is developed India going to be true? These are the children who are in the pre-primary classes in the villages of India. They will be the same in 2047. They will be running India. So, do you think that India is going to develop, if this condition of our schools remains? That is why I say that the intention is very good. For the intention, I will give 10 out of 10 to the government. But then, how much is the action on it, it will decide how much of this will be a blessing. Because the action itself is the blessing. So, for these reasons, I want the resignation of the Education Minister,” he added.

Appeal To The Prime Minister

Wangchuk urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, saying that democratic norms demanded responsibility from ministers. “So, to improve all this, I will request the Prime Minister that in any self-respecting country, in democracy, if there is any self-respecting Education Minister, if there is such a thing, if the papers are leaked, and if something is not going on, then he will resign. He will resign. So, I hope that this will happen in the next few days, or change, or resign,” he said.

He reiterated that he would be in Delhi on June 6 if no action came by June 5, and called on citizens to join him and Dipke. “And if this does not happen by 5th June, then I will be forced to join you on 6th June to request this in Delhi. So, I am coming to Delhi to join you, to join Dipke ji. You also tell me, are you coming? If not now, when? If not us, who? If not now, then when? And if not us, then who will bring change in India? That's all for today. Jai Hind,” he concluded.

Dipke, who launched the satirical outfit and built its following online, announced on Monday that he would return to India on June 6 and lead a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding Education Minister Pradhan’s resignation. The protest will mark his first visit to the country since forming the party.