India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement has vowed to continue its nationwide campaign until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, a day after violent clashes between protesters and police left at least 180 people injured in New Delhi.
Thousands of protesters gathered in the heart of the Indian capital on Monday, demanding the education minister’s resignation and broader reforms to the country’s examination system. The demonstration marked one of the largest anti-government protests in Delhi in recent years and highlighted growing frustration among students over repeated examination controversies.
The Cockroach Janta Party, despite its name, is not a registered political party. The movement began as an online youth campaign in May and has rapidly gained millions of followers on social media, emerging as one of the most prominent protest movements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term in office.
In a social media post on Tuesday, CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka declared that the campaign would continue until the education minister steps down. Hundreds of demonstrators remained at the Jantar Mantar protest site, where many called for comprehensive reforms to India’s education and examination systems.
The protests turned violent on Monday when police attempted to stop demonstrators from marching toward Parliament. Authorities used tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd after protesters tried to move beyond designated protest areas.
According to Delhi Police, 178 people were injured, including 118 police personnel. Police accused sections of the crowd of engaging in violent behavior during the clashes. Authorities also reported that around 60 protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
Protest organizers strongly criticized the police response, describing it as excessive. Ashutosh Ranka said students who had gathered to raise legitimate concerns were subjected to unnecessary force and called the police action a setback for democratic values.
The demonstrations stem from a series of examination scandals that have shaken public confidence in India’s education system. Earlier this year, around 2.2 million medical students were required to retake the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) after authorities canceled the original examination following allegations of a question paper leak.
The controversy was further intensified by separate concerns surrounding the online marking system used for examinations taken by nearly two million high school students. Protesters argue that repeated irregularities have undermined trust in the country’s examination process and are demanding greater transparency and accountability.
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