Roach wave sweeps India as student protests spread beyond Delhi

From Delhi to Mumbai, Patna and beyond, the CJP-led student protests have gathered nationwide momentum. Even as the Centre announced fast-track courts for paper leak cases, protesters have refused to back down from their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.Protestors gather in support of Cockroach Janta Party and demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, near Shivaji Park in Mumbai. (PTI)What began as a small protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar has snowballed into a nationwide movement, with demonstrations now being reported across multiple states as protesters continue to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak row.The agitation gained momentum after police cracked down on protesters marching from Jantar Mantar to Parliament, using tear gas to disperse the crowd.Since then, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has refused to back down, insisting on accountability in the paper leak and Pradhan's resignation. Organisers say they have no plans to scale back the agitation and claim every crackdown has only drawn larger crowds to the protest.The CJP kicked off the day with a video on X showing hundreds of young protesters gathering in Chandigarh to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. In Mumbai, protests intensified on Wednesday despite heavy police deployment. Around 1,500 protesters, including several actors and comedians, gathered on the rain-soaked streets of Shivaji Park and raised slogans seeking Pradhan's resignation.Police said the demonstration did not have the required permission and detained around 200 people. Officials said a larger crowd that gathered later was dispersed peacefully and that further legal action was being initiated.One of the most widely shared moments of the day also came from Mumbai. A viral video showed a man opening the latch of a police van carrying detained protesters, after which several youths climbed out and ran before police could respond.The incident took place during a demonstration at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan Chowk in Chembur, where police said 700 to 800 protesters had assembled in violation of prohibitory orders. Officials said personnel had shown restraint and had repeatedly appealed to the crowd to disperse before around 200 people were detained.The agitation has also spread to other parts of Maharashtra, where protests were reported outside Mumbai as demonstrators repeated their demand for accountability in the paper leak case and the resignation of the Education Minister.In Patna, the issue entered the political arena and disrupted proceedings in the Bihar Assembly today. Opposition MLAs staged protests over the lathi-charge on students during the Delhi demonstrations, leading to repeated disruptions in the House. The confrontation sharpened after a ruling alliance MLA described those who had allegedly attacked his vehicle as "goons."Earlier, Bihar Police fired tear gas shells, lathi-charged protesters and even used water cannons in a bid to stop them from marching towards the Governor's House. Several students marching under the banner of the All India Students' Association (AISA), the student wing of the CPI(ML) Liberation, were met with police action at Gandhi Maidan, around three kilometres from the Governor's House.The movement has also gathered pace in Bengaluru, where protesters assembled in support of the Delhi agitation and repeated their demand for action against those responsible for the paper leak, along with Pradhan's resignation. Bengaluru: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters stage a protest in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and the CJP's protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhans resignation, in Bengaluru. (PTI) Several students and civil rights groups rallied behind the movement in Delhi, condemning the police over the alleged brutal crackdown on protesters.Similar protests were reported in Hyderabad, where demonstrators joined the wider call for accountability in the examination paper leak case.Even as the movement spread across other states, Jantar Mantar remained its epicentre. Thousands continued to gather there for the third consecutive day after Monday's 'Sansad Chalo' march, prompting heightened security across the national capital. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation temporarily shut 16 stations in central Delhi, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market.The protest site drew a steady flow of political and public figures. Physics Wallah CEO Alakh Pandey joined the demonstrators and criticised sections of the media for describing protesting students as "Pakistan-funded" and "China supporters." He said the government should speak directly to the students instead of relying on police action. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also expressed support, saying students had lost faith in the system after the paper leak controversy. She questioned the police crackdown, asked the Centre to hold talks with the students and repeated the Opposition's demand that Dharmendra Pradhan resign to restore public confidence.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced fast-track courts for swift punishment in paper leak cases and said that "nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth."The CJP, however, said the government's response did not meet its demands. The party's founder posted an image of Pradhan's resignation on social media with the caption, "Hi, my name is Nothing."CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the group had turned down Union Minister JP Nadda's invitation for a meeting at his residence, saying any talks should be held at Jantar Mantar or at a neutral venue nearby. He said the government had to first show that it was serious about addressing the protesters' demands rather than holding what he called "meaningless discussions".Sonam Wangchuk briefly stepped away from the protest after suffering from fever and severe body pain, but said he would return by the evening. Organisers said the agitation would continue.With protests now stretching from Mumbai to Patna, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, and with crowds still rising at Jantar Mantar, the campaign over the NEET paper leak has moved well beyond Delhi as demonstrators continue to press for accountability and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Jul 23, 2026 12:34 IST