New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has refused to vacate the Jantar Mantar protest site even as authorities denied the outfit permission to continue beyond 5 pm on Saturday (June 20). Dipke said he would move out only when Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.CJP Founder @abhijeet_dipke is leading the effort to clean up the protest site at Jantar Mantar, as the protesters are determined to stay the night and continue the protest on Sunday, 21st June! pic.twitter.com/gV9Mm9iF89— Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) June 20, 2026The protest was on after 10 pm on Saturday and visuals from about half an hour earlier showed a moderate crowd close to the stage set up at the venue. They protest took place under a banner that said: “Peaceful Protest: Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign”.The protest continues at Jantar Mantar with the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation. All the streetlights are on now. pic.twitter.com/IYYYicfaiR— vipul | विपुल (@vipul_reports) June 20, 2026In the video above, police can be heard announcing “Your demonstration is declared unauthorised” and asking protesters to disperse. Police have warned that action would be taken against the protesters if they do not vacate Jantar Mantar.Just after 11 pm, the police force at Jantar Mantar formed a huddle close to the stage and were engrossed in discussion.Earlier today, at 5 pm, Dipke asked people who support CJP to arrive at Jantar Mantar “by 6 pm”, after the permission given to CJP would expire. “We are not ending the protest today,” he said in a video posted on X. “We are going to sit here all night,” he said, asking “all students, teachers and parents” in Delhi to arrive at the venue. “If you don’t arrive, the police will suppress this movement for those students have died by suicide,” he said.“I request the authorities, since youth from across the country are here and want to continue sitting until we get justice. I urge Delhi Police to extend our permission. The protest has been peaceful; we are just innocent students seeking justice,” Dipke said, according to an India Today report.Permission to extend the protest has been denied to Dipke, the Hindu reports. Delhi Police also reportedly began to dismantle the protest arrangements, effectively forcing attendees to leave the venue. At around 7:20 pm, Dipke complained about water facilities being denied at the protest site.Ashutosh Ranka, a CJP activist, and journalist Saurav Das said in a video statement issued from Jantar Mantar at 8:28 pm that the police “were not cooperating” and that water, electricity and toilet facilities need to be restored for the protesters’ safety and convenience, especially for women protesters.As the lights faded over the protest site, Dipke addressed police officials near the stage, saying, “You cannot oppose what they do, but you can tell us – did the prime minister ask you to turn off the electricity? did the home minister ask you to do it?”Soon after, Dipke thanked Delhi Police for switching on the lights. The protest continued with people mostly gathered around the main stage area. Water was also permitted into the area.The protest seeking resignation of Pradhan, after the NEET undergrauate entrance test paper leak and a series of other exam-related fiascos, took place in the capital amid heavy security deployment. Multiple barriers and barricades were installed across the venue and on the roads nearbly and senior police officers were on duty.The NEET re-test is scheduled in centres across the country on Sunday, June 21, and is being organised by the NTA or National Testing Agency, which student groups, experts and CJP have heavily criticised for multiple failures.The protest underway after the police refused to extend time given earlier. Photo: Vipul Kumar.Dipke reportedly asked Delhi Police to “open dialogue with” the Union government to meet the students and youth’s demands.Earlier on Saturday, Dipke said he feared arrest and urged the protest be allowed to continue since it was peaceful and raised just demands. He said the protest must be peaceful and continue “at any cost”, saying the youth should launch “jail-bharo” (fill the prisons) in their own districts.Police is about to arrest me. I appeal to you to not stop this peaceful protest nationwide even if I am arrested! pic.twitter.com/P7ljEJkCzP— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) June 20, 2026