A movement led by the “Cockroach” party declared on Tuesday that they will persist with their protests until the education minister steps down, following a clash in New Delhi that injured at least 180 individuals. Thousands assembled in the central area of India’s capital on Monday, demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and broader reforms in the education sector, signaling a strong show of support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online movement. Since launching in May, the CJP has amassed millions of followers on social media, emerging as one of the most significant challenges to Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his third term began in 2024.
“We won’t back down. Pradhan must be removed,” pronounced CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka via social media. On Tuesday, many protesters stayed at Jantar Mantar, calling for extensive changes to the education system. The previous day, police used tear gas and batons to prevent protesters from marching toward Parliament, marking one of Delhi’s largest street protests in nearly five years.
According to Delhi Police, at least 178 individuals were injured in the clashes, including 118 police officers, with authorities criticizing the protests as “unruly, aggressive, and violent.” The police also reported that approximately 60 protesters sustained injuries during the skirmish. The organizers condemned what they described as the “heavy-handed” tactics of the authorities, asserting that hundreds of protesters had been hurt. Ranka stated, “It’s a shameful chapter in Indian democracy that honest students protesting genuine issues were violently beaten by Delhi police.” He also mentioned a meeting with senior minister JP Nadda on Monday but said the government had yet to respond to their demands.
Despite rapid economic development, millions in India still struggle with securing stable and well-paying jobs, fueling widespread dissatisfaction. The protests follow a series of scandals involving examinations that have undermined public confidence in the testing system.
Last month, around 2.2 million aspiring medical students sat for a re-examination under strict security after the original test was canceled due to a leaked question paper. This incident compounded concerns stemming from another scandal involving the online grading system used for nearly two million high school students’ exams.