The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has proposed to organise a peaceful march in Hyderabad on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) to commemorate the 21 students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy. The march is scheduled to begin at 4.30 p.m. from People’s Plaza and proceed to the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Statue, subject to permission from the Hyderabad Police.

According to a poster released by the organisation, the event would also provide an opportunity for supporters to come together and discuss the party’s future course of action. Speaking about the programme, Vijay Mallangi, Telangana representative of the Cockroach Janta Party, said the event was not intended as a celebration. “This is not exactly a victory celebration but a remembrance of the 21 students who died by suicide after the NEET paper leak,” he said.

The proposed march will be the Cockroach Janta Party’s second official protest in Hyderabad. Their first demonstration in the city was held on June 14 and was attended by activist Sonam Wangchuk.

The announcement comes days after the CJP called off its 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 25 following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister.

Dozens of demonstrators took to the streets near Charminar in Hyderabad on Friday (July 24, 2026) to protest against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak and express solidarity with students demonstrating in the national capital. They also condemned the proposed demolition of buildings at the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh.

Slogans on students’ needs

The protest was led by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) and saw participants carrying placards with slogans such as “Students Need Classrooms, Not Chaos” and “Justice for Students, Justice for Jauhar”. Soon after Friday prayers concluded at the Mecca Masjid, many other young men joined the peaceful demonstration, raising slogans against what they described as the government’s anti-student policies. They also sought the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Demands

The protesters demanded strict action against those responsible for irregularities and question paper leaks. They further demanded an establishment of a transparent, accountable, corruption free and student friendly exam system, and protection of the democratic right to peacefully protest.

Speaking to the media, SIO Telangana president Mohammed Faraz Ahmed alleged said that conduct of national level examinations were failing. He added that question paper leaks were a result of corruption and administrative negligence which had severely taken a toll on the confidence of students and parents across the country. The future of lakhs of students, he said, could not be jeopardised on account of a flawed examination system.

He alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had failed to discharge its duty of conducting examinations in a fair, transparent, and credible manner. Protesters demanded the immediate resignation of Mr. Pradhan and called for the abolition of the agency.

The paper leaks had caused a great deal of anxiety and mental stress within the student community. He said that students spend a great deal of time to prepare for such tests. Condemning the police action against peaceful protesters in the national capital, he said that in a democracy, voices of dissent must be heard rather than suppressed.

People participate in a march led by Students Islamic Organisation of India’s (SIO) at Charminar in Hyderabad on Friday (July 24, 2026)
| Video Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL