‘Lost motivation, no accountability’: What protesters said at CJP protest at Jantar Mantar

AJuridical aspirer from Bihar, a protestor from bombay and a quaker protesting on behalf of a NEET hopeful were among those who joined the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Saturday.A large gathering of students and supporters gathered at the protest site over alleged examination irregularities, repeated paper leaks and demands for accountability from the government.An undergraduate student from Delhi participating in the protest said she was opposing the NEET paper leak as it had severely affected the morale of her friend, a NEET aspirant.Follow latest updates on CJP protest“A friend took a drop last year for NEET exam. She prepared not just for NEET but several other paramedical courses exam. She was really happy after giving the paper in May and was hopeful. Then we heard the paper had been leaked. It’s been over a month her family and friends have been counselling her. It’s not just NEET, she has lost motivation to appear for other exam,” Hunar Jain, 18, an undergraduate student told HT.Several protestors blamed the National Testing Agency, the organisation which conducts the exams, and questioned why the government couldn't conduct such exams.“The government has put all its machinery from airlifting Re-NEET paper to banning Telegram. So much money of taxpayers is going into this. Why can’t they conduct the exam also on their own rather than outsourcing it to an agency that is not accountable to anyone, including the parliament,” Ranvijay, a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.Also Read: Twist in Nagpur NEET aspirant's story: NTA says candidate 'selected Abu Dhabi'; Dubai was second option for exam centreThe protest site witnessed heavy police deployment as students held placards seeking answers from the government over alleged failures and demanded the resignation of Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The protest was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, who urged the protestors to bring "thali and chammach" (plates and spoons), in a symbol of protest against the government.Protesters from Mumbai, BiharThe protest at Jantar Mantar saw participation from across the country, including Maharashtra and Bihar.A Mumbai resident said he joined the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar as the city didn't host a CJP protest. Ever since Dipke returned from the US, the CJP has held protest in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Lucknow.Also Read: ‘Only one Shiv Sena remains’: Amit Shah's dig at Uddhav Thackeray, says Eknath Shinde's no longer a ‘faction’“I am from Mumbai. There’s has been no CJP protest there, but issues that they party is raising resonates to every place where students resides. The quality of education in private and public institutions is just widening each year,” 29-year-old Neil Khopkar, a working professional from Mumbai, said.A judiciary aspirant from Bihar, who now resides in Delhi, said eveytime there's an issue, the NTA blames it on technical glitches.“Every time an issue arises, the NTA blames it on technical glitches. The agency uses these technical errors as a shield to avoid taking responsibility,” said Gautam Babu, 28, a judiciary aspirant from Bihar who now lives in Delhi.