NEW DELHI: Indian police fired tear gas and baton-charged thousands of protesters marching towards parliament in New Delhi on Monday, as a rapidly growing youth movement mounted one of the biggest public challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in recent years.
The demonstrators, many of them students, parents and young professionals, defied a police ban to march from Jantar Mantar on the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session.
कितनी भयावह है,🥺 pic.twitter.com/eSNNiXpO2n
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
The protest was organised by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that emerged over examination paper leaks before expanding into a broader campaign against corruption and mismanagement in India’s education system.
पुलिस तिरंगे का सम्मान करना भूल गई है?? pic.twitter.com/B7ST9pIXfM
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
The young protesters are demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The also demanded PM Modi’s resignation over the corrupt education system under his governance.
दिल्ली में CP पर LIC बिल्डिंग के पास सुरक्षा बलों ने प्रदर्शनकारी छात्रों पर न केवल आंसू गैस के गोले छोड़े, बल्कि पत्थर भी बरसाए।
पुलिस ने भी पत्थर चलाए 🥺 pic.twitter.com/Avxt5u4ckH
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
Police blocked the march with barricades as protesters attempted to advance towards parliament. Scuffles broke out after demonstrators tried to push through security cordons. Several protesters said they were injured in baton charges. Delhi Police denied using force and said the demonstration was being handled professionally.
जो स्थान कोर्ट ने प्रदर्शन के लिए तय किया है उसको भी सरकार ने खाली करवा लिया। pic.twitter.com/764zcdIaQD
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
Government offers talks
As tensions escalated, the Modi government made an attempt to engage with protest leaders by inviting representatives of the movement for discussions.
“The government had reached out for talks in the morning,” CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said in a post on X. “Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers.”
Also Read: Indian Police Crack Down on ‘Cockroach’ Marchers
According to the movement, two CJP representatives later met Health Minister JP Nadda and submitted a letter outlining their demands after waiting outside his residence for about two hours.
I am very happy to see that women are not lagging behind at all.
नारी शक्ति जिंदाबाद 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/04ndXLuBdL
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
Das said the minister assured them he would raise the issues within the government. However, the meeting failed to ease tensions, with thousands remaining at Jantar Mantar hoping they would be allowed to continue the march.
The movement later claimed that its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, had been detained by police before clarifying that supporters had prevented officers from taking him into custody.
Protest gathers momentum
Police said more than 10,000 protesters had gathered at Jantar Mantar and along the march route.
Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma urged demonstrators to disperse, saying the protest site had reached capacity and posed safety concerns. Authorities also suspended mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi.
The demonstration gained fresh momentum after veteran activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly moved to hospital on Saturday following nearly three weeks on hunger strike in support of the movement.
In a handwritten note posted on X from hospital, Wangchuk said he would end his fast if the government accepted responsibility for failures in the education system and examination paper leaks, or if lawmakers assured protesters that their concerns would be addressed.
WHEN WILL I END THE FAST….!
Not withstanding my health my fast continues till after the Sansad Chalo March, and will be broken only under the following circumstances… pic.twitter.com/kaOGx2Nk4T— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 20, 2026
The movement takes its name from a remark by India’s chief justice, who compared unemployed young people to “cockroaches” during a court hearing.
Dipke adopted the label and turned the cockroach into the movement’s symbol. What began as an online satirical campaign has since evolved into a nationwide protest movement attracting students, professionals, activists and opposition politicians.
Growing frustration among youth
The protests were triggered by repeated examination scandals, including the cancellation of India’s national medical entrance examination after question papers were leaked, forcing about 2.2 million candidates to retake the test under heightened security.
Another controversy involving the online marking of examinations further fuelled public anger.
Protesters said they were demanding accountability and an end to corruption in competitive examinations.
“We want this corruption to end,” Mohammed Tabrez, a 22-year-old student preparing for competitive examinations, said.
“We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end.” Another student, Adi Nathan, said repeated examination leaks had undermined young people’s future.
The movement has tapped into broader frustration over youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities in India.
Thank you for your support. https://t.co/tcbbmMu7E4
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
Government data cited in the reports showed unemployment among people aged 15 to 29 stood at 9.9 per cent in 2025, including 13.6 per cent in urban areas.
Inside parliament, opposition lawmakers repeatedly disrupted proceedings over the examination scandals and the treatment of protesters, while demonstrations continued outside.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of suppressing students’ voices, as opposition members demanded the education minister’s resignation.
