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Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse thousands of protesters marching towards India’s Parliament on Monday as demonstrators demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and stronger action against alleged corruption in the country’s examination system.
The protest, organised by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), drew more than 10,000 people, making it the largest demonstration since the movement emerged in May. Protesters adopted the group’s name as a satirical reference to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The rally gained momentum following the reported forcible hospitalisation of activist Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday after he spent 21 days on a hunger strike in support of the movement.
Marchers chanted slogans calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Pradhan, accusing the government of failing to address alleged examination paper leaks and corruption in the education system.
“This rotten system refuses to take action. It cannot see the pain of students,” protester and yoga teacher Jyoti Rajput said.
Ahead of the march, the government reportedly invited two CJP representatives to hold talks with Health Minister J.P. Nadda. However, party spokesperson Saurav Das said the protesters’ demands remained unchanged.
“Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers,” Das said in a post on X.
Thousands of protesters had gathered overnight at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi’s designated protest site, before beginning their march on the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session.
Authorities tightened security by barricading roads and restricting access to several nearby metro stations. Despite the measures, demonstrators continued to reach the protest site by walking from surrounding stations while carrying Indian flags and chanting slogans.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show riot police using batons to push back protesters. Police denied reports of clashes, describing such claims as misinformation.
Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma urged demonstrators to disperse, saying the protest venue had exceeded its capacity and warning that overcrowding could create safety risks. He confirmed that more than 10,000 people had gathered at Jantar Mantar and along the march route.
