India’s Cockroach movement brings thousands to parliament in challenge to Modi government

Protesters gather as they take part in a demonstration organized by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar during the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on Monday in New Delhi.Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party movement said on Monday a federal minister had promised the government would weigh its demands as thousands of protesters marched on parliament despite police efforts to scatter them with tear gas and cane charges.

The months-old movement and the protest are seen as the biggest public challenge to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term, drawing millions of supporters on social media before broadening its appeal to opposition parties.

A police decision to forcibly move hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital on Saturday galvanized a movement demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks.

Members say the leaking of the papers for a national entrance test to medical school in May – which forced some two million students to resit, and led to some taking their own lives – was a sign of deep-seated corruption in education.

Thousands of young supporters gathered through the night at the protest site of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for the march on the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session.

“Quit, quit,” the protesters chanted. “Dharmendra Pradhan quit,” “Narendra Modi quit,” they said in Hindi.

Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party scuffle with police as they attempt to march toward India's Parliament, demanding the resignation of the education minister.Vipin/The Associated Press

Scores of police and paramilitary personnel turned out across the capital, stopping protesters as they chanted and waved the national flag.

Health Minister J.P. Nadda has asked for time to discuss the Cockroach Janta Party’s demands within the government, Ashutosh Ranka, the movement’s national spokesperson, said in a post on X on Monday.

The demands include the release of Wangchuk – who is staging his hunger strike in solidarity with the movement – Pradhan’s resignation and compensation of 10-million rupees for each student who died by suicide following the leak.

Around 12 people have taken their own lives, according to media reports.

Nadda said the leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party had submitted a memorandum to the government after about four hours of verbal discussions, and meetings had been cordial.

“I appealed to all the protesters to end their sit-in and help the administration restore normalcy,” he said in a post on X.

Police detain a supporter of the Cockroach Janta Party while he and others attempt to march toward India's Parliament.Vipin/The Associated Press

The Cockroach Janta Party’s surge in popularity reflects frustrations among young Indians including job shortages as well as exam leaks, which they say happen frequently.

Reuters reporters saw scores of young people streaming towards the protest site, as police barricades on routes to central Delhi snarled traffic.

“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 kilometres from the capital. “This should come to an end.”

Television images showed police cane charges on some protesters in one area, although Delhi police denied use of force, saying the protest was “being handled professionally.”

Reuters journalists also said security officers fired rounds of tear gas near parliament to disperse the protesters, while elsewhere, some protesters hurled stones at police.

Thousands of supporters of the youth-led Cockroach movement gathered Monday to march to India's Parliament, demanding the resignation of the education minister despite police denying permission for the protest, as the government appeared to open its first talks with movement leaders.

The Associated Press

Mohammed Tabrez, 22, a student preparing for competitive examinations that are the gateway to professional courses or jobs, said he had come from Amroha in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, about 165 kilometres away.

“We want this corruption to end,” he said.

In a post on X, Delhi’s police force appealed to the protesters to maintain peace, exercise restraint and co-operate with officers in ensuring peace and public order.

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.

Wangchuk asked hospital authorities in a handwritten note to let him join Monday’s march, even if temporarily.

Earlier on Monday, he offered to end his hunger strike if the government agreed to three conditions including taking responsibility for what he said were recent failures in the education system and the exam leaks.

He said he would also end his protest if lawmakers and leaders of political parties met him in hospital and assured him the conditions would be met.