Thousands gather at New Delhi protest demanding education minister's resignation
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Around a thousand demonstrators assembled at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday, seeking to march to Parliament and call for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while police barred the march citing security concerns.
Around a thousand supporters of the youth-led Cockroach movement gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday, intending to march to the Parliament to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Police surrounded the protest site and announced that the march had not been authorized, warning that restrictions were needed to maintain law and order during the monsoon session of Parliament.
Video footage showed police using batons on some protesters who attempted to breach security barricades. Demonstrators, including students, professionals and families, carried supplies for a long day and waved Indian flags while chanting slogans directed at the education minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Cockroach Janta Party formed in May after a Supreme Court chief justice likened unemployed youth to “cockroaches,” a remark the group adopted as a satirical label. The movement grew after repeated leaks of high-stakes entrance examinations for medical colleges and government jobs, and after police transferred hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday.
"I will end my hunger strike only if the government takes responsibility for failures in the education system and exam paper leaks, or if protesters are allowed to reach Parliament and lawmakers pledge to raise the issues in both Houses," Wangchuk said before the march.
Police said the protest site was barricaded to prevent a confrontation and urged the crowd to disperse via loudspeakers. A spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party, Saurav Das, indicated that he and another representative were meeting Health Minister J.P. Nadda, suggesting early government outreach, though officials did not confirm the meeting.
Education Minister Pradhan described the protesters as acting against the nation, while other ministers acknowledged student concerns but said there was no need for formal talks with the movement. The protests have attracted attention from opposition parties, rights groups and some public figures, highlighting broader concerns about dissent and public protest in the country.