Thousands of supporters of India's youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered in the capital on Monday to march toward Parliament despite a police ban, escalating what is being described as the biggest public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term.
The protests center on allegations of corruption in the education system following major exam paper leaks.
The months-old Cockroach Janta Party movement has rapidly evolved from an online campaign into a nationwide protest, attracting millions of supporters on social media before gaining backing from opposition parties.
Thousands of demonstrators arrived overnight at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar ahead of the planned march on the opening day of Parliament's monsoon session. The demonstration follows the government's handling of alleged examination paper leaks that have sparked widespread anger among students.
Meanwhile, two senior CJP leaders met Health Minister J.P. Nadda after the government initiated contact for talks.
"The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear," CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said in a post on X while heading to the meeting with another party representative.
Nadda previously served as president of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Heavy security deployed across Delhi
Authorities deployed large numbers of police and paramilitary personnel across the capital to prevent protesters from reaching Parliament.
Police barricaded several major routes into central Delhi, leading to severe traffic congestion and diversions. Government offices in the parliamentary district were also locked as a precaution.
Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said more than 10,000 protesters had already gathered by Monday morning.
"The protest site has already run out of space and this can lead to an untoward situation," Sharma told Reuters.
Protesters allege use of force
Television footage showed police using batons against some protesters near heavily barricaded areas, although Delhi Police denied employing force and insisted that "the protest is being handled professionally."
The Cockroach Janta Party also claimed that tear gas had been fired near Parliament to disperse demonstrators. Reuters journalists reported hearing loud blasts in the area but could not confirm whether tear gas rounds had been used.
Protesters chanted slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Quit, quit," demonstrators shouted, followed by chants of "Dharmendra Pradhan quit" and "Narendra Modi quit."
Exam paper leaks fuel nationwide anger
The movement began after the national medical school entrance examination papers were leaked in May, affecting more than two million students and forcing candidates to retake the test.
Many protesters said the repeated exam scandals had shattered confidence in India's education system.
"All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak," said 21-year-old student Adi Nathan, who travelled from Meerut to join the demonstration.
"This should come to an end," he added.
Mohammed Tabrez, 22, who came from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district, said he wanted corruption in competitive examinations to end.
"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."
Hunger strike intensifies pressure
The protests gained momentum after police moved hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday.
Wangchuk had joined the CJP's sit-in on June 28 after founder Abhijeet Dipke launched the protest last month demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
In a handwritten note from the hospital, Wangchuk requested permission to temporarily join the march. Earlier on Monday, he offered to end his indefinite hunger strike if the government accepted three conditions, including taking responsibility for failures in the education system and the examination paper leaks.
He also said he would end his fast if lawmakers from different political parties visited him in hospital and assured him that his demands would be addressed.
CJP founder not detained
As negotiations continued, the Cockroach Janta Party said in a statement on X that Dipke was not in "detention or arrest" after earlier saying he was "picked up" by police.
Following the meeting with Health Minister J.P. Nadda, chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the minister had listened to their concerns during a brief 10-minute discussion.
"While we submit a written letter... he (Nadda) has assured us that he will meanwhile speak internally. We are in that process," Das wrote on X.
Political analysts say the rise of the Cockroach Janta Party reflects mounting frustration among young Indians over high youth unemployment and recurring examination paper leaks that have undermined trust in competitive recruitment and admissions.
The protests have emerged as one of the most significant youth-led movements in recent years, putting increasing pressure on the Modi government to address concerns about transparency and accountability in India's education system.
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