New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continued its sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar here for a third straight day on Monday, with founder Abhijeet Dipke stepping up his attack on the Centre over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper-leak controversy.

The protest, which began on Saturday afternoon, continued through the night, with supporters staying at the venue amid police deployment. Some NEET aspirants who appeared for the re-examination on Sunday have also joined the protest, sharing their experiences and demanding accountability.

Addressing the protesters, Dipke questioned the BJP-led Centre's response to students who were not allowed to appear for the re-exam after they arrived late by a few minutes, saying authorities are "punishing students", while failing to take action over the alleged paper leak.

"You cannot tolerate four minutes of delay, but how can we tolerate the continuation of the education minister after the deaths of students?" he said, referring to their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Dipke said Pradhan's resignation is the "bare minimum" and alleged that accountability is missing from the education system. He said students have experienced trauma after preparing again for an examination that was cancelled following allegations of irregularities.

A student from Bihar who joined the protest said, "Mentally, I am not in a good space as we had to prepare for and give the exam again. After the exam, you tend to relax, but they leaked the paper and cancelled the NEET." Students demanded accountability from the minister and reforms in the examination system.

Dipke appealed to people to join the protest and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet NEET aspirants at Jantar Mantar, saying they want to share their experiences directly with him.

He questioned allegations that the protest is an attempt to provoke young people, saying raising students' concerns cannot be considered provocation. He also criticised politicians over issues of accountability and said leaders should focus on education and students' issues.

Dipke had alleged on Monday that police were preventing students from joining the protest by asking for their Aadhaar cards. The Delhi Police, however, denied the claim, saying it was "factually incorrect" and that the force neither conducted Aadhaar checks nor collected Aadhaar or address details from people at Jantar Mantar.

Members of Left student unions and youth organisations, including the SFI, AISA, AISF and KYS, also took part in the protest. The AISF has set up a library at the venue.

Dipke has demanded Pradhan's resignation, compensation for families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the paper-leak controversy and the cancellation of the examination.

The demonstration is being held under security arrangements, with police personnel deployed and barricades placed around the protest area.

This is the second protest organised by the CJP at Jantar Mantar over alleged paper leaks and demands for accountability from the government. PTI AO SHB RC