The campaign demanding accountability over the NEET-UG paper leak gathered fresh momentum in Nagpur on Monday as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke met the family of a NEET aspirant who died by suicide and led what he described as the largest turnout yet in the organisation’s nationwide protests.The demonstration at Samvidhan Square drew more than 1,000 youngsters, with students and activists from Nagpur and several districts of Vidarbha joining the gathering after appeals were circulated on social media. Anticipating a large turnout, the Maharashtra Police stepped up security arrangements, particularly in the wake of the assault on Dipke during a protest in Jaipur earlier.Ahead of the rally, Dipke visited the family of Akanksha Chaturvedi, a NEET aspirant who died by suicide in Nagpur.“Met the grieving family of Akanksha, a NEET aspirant who lost her life by suicide in Nagpur. Offered my deepest condolences to her family during this time of immense grief,” Dipke said in a post on X.The protest was organised as part of the CJP’s continuing demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.In a video message before the event, Dipke urged students and youngsters to assemble peacefully at Samvidhan Square and reiterated that the campaign would continue until the minister stepped down.Addressing a press conference, Dipke also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as a lack of engagement with students affected by the controversy.“The PM tweets if anything happens across the world, but here students of this country are dying by suicide and there is not even a condolence tweet for them from the PM. How long you will talk about your ‘Mann ki Baat’ and ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’? At least listen to students’ Mann ki Baat,” he said.The demonstration, however, witnessed opposition from a group wearing saffron stoles, who raised slogans and questioned why the protesters had not mobilised during earlier paper leaks. The group alleged that the movement was misleading young people and claimed anti-RSS slogans had been raised at the venue. Verbal exchanges followed as both sides shouted slogans.Despite the confrontation, the protest continued. Later, Dipke thanked Nagpur for what he called the strongest response received by the movement so far.“Thank you, Nagpur, for gathering in the largest numbers so far! Your support drives this fight for justice. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, our movement will continue through peaceful, non-violent protests,” he wrote on X, adding, “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign!”Dipke also sought to distance the movement from electoral politics. Asked whether the Cockroach Janta Party planned to contest elections, he said, “Why should we contest elections? I mean, if everyone in this country has to contest elections to demand their rights…how will it work?”He further attacked the political system over examination leaks, saying, “The same corrupt system keeps electoral bonds safe while leaking papers and ruining the future of lakhs of students. Ministers don’t care; their kids’ study abroad. They protect political funds but fail our honest, hardworking youth. The system is broken.”The Nagpur gathering marked the latest chapter in the CJP’s nationwide campaign, which continues to centre on the NEET paper leak controversy, student grievances and the demand for accountability from those in charge of the country’s education system.