NEET protest: Ex-mall worker launches political party after 15-day 'crash course'

At Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting for over two weeks demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak, a 20-year-old former mall supervisor is preparing to enter politics.

Vikas Kumar from Hajipur, Bihar, left his job at a Gurgaon mall on June 19 to join the protest. Now, he says he has started his own political outfit called Apna Bharat Sena Party (ABS Party). He carries a crumpled A4 sheet with his AI-enhanced picture and the party name. 'I'm doing a course in politics here. I get food and a place to sleep. It's been 15 days since I started the 'course'. Once it's over, I'll become a politician. Already 17 people have joined my party here,' Kumar said.

The protest, which began after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived from the US, has drawn volunteers from across the country. Among them are Zahid, a construction contractor from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, who traveled two days to join the protest. 'I came across the party's social media page on May 15 and felt it was right, after reading the demands,' he said.

Prominent figures including author Arundhati Roy, CPM leaders Brinda Karat and John Brittas, Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav, and AAP leader Sanjay Singh have visited the protest site to extend support. The protesters continue to demand the minister's resignation amid discussions, slogans, and songs that last into the night.

Kumar, who completed a polytechnic course in Ambala, says his family's financial condition forced him to start earning early. 'Rich fathers can hand over established businesses to their children, while middle and lower-class parents struggle to even give an education. When I become a politician, I won't become rich, but I'll have the power to raise the voice of these people,' he said.