India's 'Cockroach Janta Party' to continue protests after dozens wounded in police altercations

Thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns gathered to march on parliament on Monday, joining a movement that began as online satire.Follow us on GoogleA supporter of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) poses while holding the Indian national flag at a protest site, a day after thousands of protesters marched toward parliament demanding the resignation of the Education Minister over examination paper leaks, at Jantar Mantar in India, July 21, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS)ByREUTERSJULY 21, 2026 07:55Updated: JULY 21, 2026 08:40India's youth-led "cockroach" movement said on Tuesday it would continue its protest but will not march again, a day after scores of supporters were injured in clashes with police who tried to stop their march on parliament.Delhi Police said nearly 180 people, including 118 security and police personnel, and 60 protesters, were injured on Monday when they clashed in central Delhi.Thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns gathered to march on parliament on Monday, joining a movement that began as online satire but has become the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term.The months-old movement by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party has drawn support from millions of young Gen Z Indians who are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks that affected more than 2 million students in May.It says the leaking of the papers for a national entrance test to medical school in May - which forced students to re-test, and led to some taking their own lives - was a sign of deep-seated corruption in education.Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chant slogans and wave their mobile phones with their flashlights on, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India, July 19, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)Nearly 180 people were injured and taken to nearby state-run hospitals on Monday, with a majority of them discharged after first aid, after clashes between the protesters and security personnel in which police used cane charges and tear gas.Delhi Police said that the injured included more than 118 security and police personnel and 60 protesters. Seventy protesters had been detained, and legal action would be initiated against them, it said in a statement late on Monday.Hundreds of protesters gather in Delhi against Indian Education MinisterEarly on Tuesday, about 150-200 protesters gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi, chanting slogans amid a mild drizzle. Security remained tight with paramilitary personnel patrolling parts of central Delhi and barricades slowing traffic."We had to call off the protest yesterday because we did not want more youth to be injured," CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told a press conference."We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again," he said, adding that more than 150 protesters were undergoing treatment in hospital.Reuters could not independently verify that number.“We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police," CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said in an earlier post on X/Twitter, apologizing to supporters, especially girls who he said were beaten by male police officers.The movement galvanized after the support of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began a hunger strike on June 28, but was forcibly moved to a hospital by the authorities on Saturday."They beat us black and blue, and they damaged our protest site,” Sahil Singh, a protester from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, told Reuters. “We want accountability to be set with Pradhan's resignation."On Monday, Health Minister J.P. Nadda met two CJP leaders and sought time to discuss their demands within the government.The demands include the release of Wangchuk, Pradhan's resignation and compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student ​who died by suicide following the leak. About a dozen students took their own lives after the exam paper leak, local media reported.Young Indians frustrated by job shortages, exam leaksThe CJP’s surge ‌in popularity reflects ⁠frustrations among young Indians including job shortages as well as exam leaks, which they say happen frequently.Dipke and his supporters began a sit-in last month seeking Pradhan's resignation. Some opposition leaders and social media influencers also joined the protest on Monday.Opposition parties criticized the government for using force against young protesters. Leaders of Modi’s party said the violence seemed orchestrated.Analysts said even if the talks succeed in calming the protests, the underlying discontent among dissatisfied youngsters has the potential to present the most formidable challenge to Modi’s government going forward.“This is an issue which affects everyone… any crackdown against the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters, as the government is wont to do, will only serve to fuel anger,” said Pearl Pandya, senior analyst for Asia Pacific at conflict monitoring research group ACLED.Follow us on Google