NEW DELHI: India’s youth-led “Cockroach” protest movement on Monday demanded that authorities immediately release all demonstrators detained during weeks of nationwide protests, warning that it would take further action if criminal cases against protesters were not withdrawn.
The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised demonstrations over examination paper leaks and irregularities in India’s competitive testing system, said it had received reports that students remained in detention, particularly in the eastern states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.
“Any failure to release those detained or withdraw criminal cases would amount to a breach of public trust,” the protest movement said in a statement.
🚨STATEMENT
We are deeply concerned by multiple reports reaching us of students and other protestors being targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar.
The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest…
— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) July 27, 2026
The movement added that it would take “further necessary steps” if the government failed to meet its demands.
Pressure mounts on Modi’s govt
The statement came two days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as India’s education minister following mounting criticism over repeated failures in the conduct of competitive examinations, which have sparked widespread anger among millions of students and job seekers.
The CJP accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government of reneging on assurances that no punitive action would be taken against those who participated in the demonstrations.
The movement, launched in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke, has attracted millions of followers on social media and emerged as one of the country’s largest youth-led protest campaigns.
Last week, tens of thousands of demonstrators, most of them students, marched in New Delhi and several other cities demanding Pradhan’s resignation and comprehensive reforms to India’s examination system.
Police violent crackdown sparks outcry
The protests escalated on July 20 when demonstrators attempted to march from the Jantar Mantar protest site towards Parliament.
Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the crowd, triggering clashes that resulted in numerous detentions.
According to the CJP, the police action prompted an outpouring of support from across the country.
The movement expanded its demands to include the withdrawal of all criminal cases against protesters and organisers, as well as a public apology from Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force over the crackdown.
The issue echoed in Parliament on Monday, where opposition lawmakers repeatedly disrupted proceedings while demanding a government response to the police action against protesters.
Protest ends but Cockroach movement continues
Calm returned to Jantar Mantar and the adjoining Parliament Street shortly after midnight following the CJP’s decision to end its protest after Pradhan’s resignation.
Thousands of students and young demonstrators had occupied the protest site near Parliament, presenting one of the most significant public challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.
After the protesters dispersed, authorities were seen removing graffiti and protest slogans from walls around the demonstration site.
Before ending the protest on Saturday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told supporters: “This is not the end. We will meet again soon.”
Two principal demands remained at the centre of the movement even after Pradhan’s resignation.
The first was financial compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following examination paper leaks and cancellations that affected millions of candidates across India.
The protesters have demanded compensation of 10 million rupees (about 105,000 US dollars) for each of around 20 affected families.
Following a joint news conference on Saturday attended by CJP representatives and senior government ministers, authorities agreed to provide compensation “whatever maximum possible” under existing rules, according to the report.
The second key demand concerns criminal proceedings against protesters.
Government representatives assured the CJP that no criminal cases would be pursued against protesters in BJP-governed states and that existing cases would be withdrawn.
However, the government made no commitment regarding the movement’s demand for a public apology from Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force.
CJP leaders have said they intend to pursue legal action against police officers involved in the July 20 crackdown, alleging excessive force against student protesters and citing video footage recorded during the demonstrations.
