Indian police use tear gas and baton charges as Cockroach movement marches on parliament

Police in New Delhi used tear gas and baton charges to disperse protesters marching toward parliament on Monday, as the youth-led Cockroach movement staged its largest demonstration yet. More than 10,000 people took part in the march, which was aimed at demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and action on alleged corruption in the exam system. The protest took place near Jantar Mantar and coincided with the first day of parliament's monsoon session.

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According to the supplied material, the crowd had gathered overnight at Jantar Mantar before setting off in the morning. The movement said its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was detained later in the day, while the protest was further fuelled by the forcible hospitalisation on Saturday of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on hunger strike for three weeks. Protesters chanted slogans calling for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Pradhan to quit, and police deployed large numbers of personnel, including riot police, around the area.

The confrontation underlines how quickly the movement has become a national political issue since emerging in May. It has drawn support from young people angered by exam irregularities and has already forced the government to offer limited talks, including an invitation for two activists to meet a senior cabinet minister. The scale of Monday's march, and the police response to it, suggest the dispute has moved beyond a student grievance into a broader test of public order in the capital.

The protest also carries significance because it unfolded close to parliament at a time when the government is under scrutiny at the start of a new legislative session. The supplied material says the movement has grown rapidly online and on the ground, making it one of the most visible challenges to Mr Modi in his third term. The use of force by police, together with the reported detention of a movement founder, is likely to intensify attention on how authorities handle dissent around the seat of government.

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What remains unclear is how many people were injured, whether any further arrests were made, and whether the reported talks with ministers will produce any concession. It is also not yet clear whether the movement will attempt another march or shift toward negotiations after Monday's confrontation. For now, the episode leaves both sides facing pressure: protesters seeking accountability over exam corruption, and the government trying to contain a fast-growing challenge in the heart of New Delhi.

Police in New Delhi dispersed supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party on Monday as thousands gathered to march toward parliament and demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Officers in blue riot gear used canes near the Jantar Mantar protest site after authorities denied permission for the demonstration. Protesters ran for cover as the crowd tried to push ahead with the planned march in the capital.

The gathering came on the opening day of parliament's monsoon session and followed a rapid build-up of support for the youth-led movement. According to the supplied material, the protest was linked to leaked national medical school entrance test papers in May, which forced more than 2 million students to sit the exam again. The movement has also drawn millions of supporters on social media, making it one of the most visible public challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term.

The confrontation intensified after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly moved to hospital on Saturday, a development that appears to have galvanised supporters to travel through the night to the protest site. Scores of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed around the heavily barricaded area, raising the risk of a stand-off a few kilometres from parliament. Movement representatives said two members were on their way to meet a senior minister in Modi's cabinet, suggesting that some contact with the government was still being sought even as officers moved to break up the crowd.

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The protest matters because it sits at the intersection of student anger, exam integrity and public-order policing in the national capital. The movement has grown out of frustration over the handling of the medical entrance test leak and has become a broader expression of discontent among young people. Its rapid rise has given the issue national political weight, especially because it is unfolding so close to parliament and during a session when the government is under scrutiny.

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged after the May leak and has since become a rallying point for students and young supporters who say they want accountability rather than a conventional party platform. The supplied material says the movement has mobilised support both online and on the ground, and that the protest on Monday was seen as its biggest public challenge yet to the government. The chants reported at the scene included calls for both the education minister and the prime minister to quit, underlining how the issue has broadened beyond a single exam dispute.

What remains unclear is whether any arrests were made, how many people may have been injured, and whether the reported talks with ministers will lead to any concession. It is also not yet clear whether the movement will attempt another march or shift to negotiations after the police response. For now, the episode leaves the government facing a highly visible test of how it handles a fast-growing youth protest movement at the heart of the capital.

Indian riot police baton-charged demonstrators in New Delhi on Monday as they tried to march toward parliament over alleged irregularities in major university examinations. The protest was linked to anger over question paper leaks and technical glitches, and it unfolded near the Jantar Mantar protest site in the capital. Thousands of people gathered despite steady monsoon drizzle and police barricades placed along routes leading to the area.

Police in blue riot gear moved against the crowd after the march was banned, according to a journalist at the scene. Protesters ran for cover as the baton charge began, while organisers said the demonstration was aimed at forcing the government to respond to their complaints. A spokesperson for the satirical Cockroach Janta Party said two members of the movement were on their way to meet a senior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.

The same spokesperson said the government had reached out for talks in the morning. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the exam irregularities. One student, K.M.

Gulshan, 19, said: "We want the government to hear us, not silence us." The movement has drawn support from young people angered by the state of the education system and unemployment, and it has grown quickly on social media. The protest also followed the hospitalisation of activist Sonam Wangchuk, which ended a 20-day hunger strike in support of the movement. The confrontation matters because it brings a student-led grievance into direct conflict with public-order policing in the national capital.

It also adds pressure on the government over an issue that touches university admissions, fairness in examinations and wider frustration among young voters. The march took place close to parliament, giving the protest immediate political visibility and raising the stakes for any response from ministers. In a country where exam integrity is closely tied to access to higher education and public-sector opportunities, allegations of leaks and glitches can quickly become a broader test of trust in institutions.

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged in May after the Supreme Court chief justice compared some unemployed young people to "cockroaches" during an unrelated hearing. Since then, the movement has attracted millions of followers online and has become one of the more visible expressions of youth anger over unemployment and education. Supporters have framed the campaign as a demand for accountability rather than a conventional party protest, while critics and authorities have treated the march as a public-order issue.

The episode also comes amid a wider political backdrop in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing one of the biggest challenges of his third term from a fast-growing youth movement. What remains unclear is whether the talks mentioned by the movement will lead to any formal concession or whether further demonstrations will follow. It is also not yet clear how many people were injured, if any, or whether any arrests were made during the baton charge.

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