Police in India used canes on Monday against supporters of the youth-led “cockroach” movement as they attempted to march on parliament in New Delhi, despite authorities refusing to grant permission for the rally.
The months-old movement, along with the planned protest, is seen as the biggest public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term. It has drawn millions of supporters on social media before broadening its appeal on the ground.
Police say protest site overcrowded as thousands gather
A police decision on Saturday to forcibly move hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital has galvanised the movement. Thousands of supporters arrived overnight at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central New Delhi, ready for the march on the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session.
Delhi police held meetings with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members, but no consensus had yet been reached, according to Sachin Sharma, Delhi’s Deputy Commissioner of Police.
“The protest site has already run out of space and this can lead to an untoward situation,” he told Reuters, adding that there were around 10,000 protesters on Monday morning.
Scores of police and paramilitary personnel were also deployed at the site, raising the prospect of a standoff close to parliament if the march proceeds. Television visuals showed police caning some protesters in a heavily barricaded area.
Delhi Police denied any use of force and said the “protest is being handled professionally.”
Protesters demand education minister’s resignation over exam leaks
Protesters chanted slogans as they arrived peacefully in rainy central Delhi. “Quit, quit,” they shouted in Hindi, referring to both Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Prime Minister Modi.
“The administration is trying to open talks with the government… They have come very late, but we have opened our hearts and said that we are willing to talk to them,” Saurav Das, chief CJP spokesperson, told the ANI news agency.
The CJP movement began after national medical school entrance test papers were leaked in May, affecting more than 2 million students and forcing them to sit the exam a second time.
“All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak,” said Adi Nathan, 21, a student from Meerut city, about 100 km from the capital. “This should come to an end.”
Mohammed Tabrez, 22, a student preparing for competitive examinations, said he had come from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh state, about 165 km away. “We want this corruption to end,” he said. “We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end and this is the reason I have come here.”
Activist sets terms to end hunger strike
The CJP initially drew support largely online, amassing 22 million followers on Instagram within days, but has since gained backing from some opposition parties.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and his supporters began a sit-in last month seeking Pradhan’s resignation. Wangchuk joined them on June 28, launching an indefinite hunger strike at the site.
In a handwritten note from hospital posted on his X account on Monday, Wangchuk said he would end his fast if the government took responsibility for recent failures in the education system and for paper leaks, or if CJP protesters were allowed to reach parliament and lawmakers assured them they would take up the issues.
He said he would also end the hunger strike if lawmakers and party leaders met him in hospital and gave him the same assurances, since his health no longer allowed him to march on parliament.
Youth unemployment fuels frustration behind movement
Analysts say the rise of the CJP reflects deep frustrations among young Indians over issues like high youth unemployment and frequent examination paper leaks.
Government data shows unemployment in 2025 stood at 3.1% among those aged 15 and above, but rose to 9.9% for those aged 15 to 29. In urban areas, the rate was 13.6%, compared with 8.3% in rural regions.
