New Delhi: Police used tear gas, canes and baton charges against supporters of the youth-led Cockroach movement as more than 10,000 people marched towards Parliament in New Delhi, marking the largest demonstration yet against the government over alleged corruption in India’s examination system.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for accountability over repeated examination paper leak allegations. Demonstrators also raised slogans seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The crowd grew after the reported forcible hospitalisation of veteran activist Sonam Wangchuk, 59, who has remained on a hunger strike for three weeks in solidarity with the movement. Thousands spent the night at Jantar Mantar before beginning their march on the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session.
Police moved to disperse the gathering soon after the march started. Authorities sealed exits at metro stations near the protest site, forcing many participants to walk from distant stations while carrying Indian flags and chanting slogans. Reports and videos circulating online showed riot police using canes to push protesters back, although Delhi Police denied reports of any scuffle.
The movement later said police detained its founder, Abhijeet Dipke. Earlier in the day, the government invited two activists for talks with a senior cabinet minister. Movement spokesperson Saurav Das said the protesters would continue to press their demands despite the outreach.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma urged protesters to leave, stating the demonstration site had reached capacity and warning of possible safety concerns.
The movement emerged after allegations of corruption and mismanagement in India’s education system. Around 2.2 million medical aspirants retook the national entrance examination after authorities cancelled the original test following a question paper leak. Students who prepared for months faced another examination, while reports linked the controversy to more than a dozen student suicides.
The Cockroach movement adopted its name after a Supreme Court chief justice compared unemployed young people to “cockroaches.” What began as an online campaign has grown into a nationwide protest movement, with Monday’s march highlighting public anger over the examination crisis and raising fresh concerns over police action against peaceful demonstrations and freedom of expression.
