New Delhi — Indian police on Monday used batons and tear gas against tens of thousands of peaceful student protesters marching toward Parliament under the banner of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated leaks of National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) papers, which have forced millions of students to retake exams and delayed university admissions.
The protest, which took place despite a police ban, barricades, internet shutdowns, and a heavy security presence, saw plainclothes officers among those attacking demonstrators. Delhi Police, which reports to the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), denied what they called “sporadic use of violence” against protesters, despite video footage and photos showing officer brutality.
The Wire reported that thousands of people were injured, some seriously. Protest organizers say more than 20 students have died by suicide over the exam crisis.
From Slur to Symbol
The movement began in May after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant reportedly compared unemployed young people to “cockroaches.” The protesters satirically reclaimed the slur as the symbol of a movement that has grown into a broader challenge to Modi’s increasingly authoritarian Hindu nationalist rule, which has seen mounting repression of protest and dissent, including restrictions on journalists and activists.
“Already more than 20 students have died by suicide, but this government is not done yet,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on social media. “This government has resorted to hooliganism now.”
Protester Rhythm Katoch told The Guardian: “They are calling this protest illegal, they are calling us anti-national. But I am 22 years old, and I am standing here to fight for our education system, for the rights of the young people, and for our democracy. Is it too much to ask for the government to listen to us?”
On Monday, protesters chanted “Go, Pradhan, Go, Saat Mein Modi Ko Bhi Lo! (Take Modi along with you too!),” banging plastic bottles on the ground to keep the beat.
Hunger Strikes and Hospitalization
The CJP and other student groups have been leading hunger strikes at Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory designated as the protest site. Three students from the leftist All India Students’ Association ended their fast on Monday, while environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since June 28, was taken by authorities to Safdarjung Hospital, where he continues his fast.
“I am touched and moved by how the youth have held on to peace despite provocation,” Wangchuk said Monday.
Amid Monday’s demonstration, CJP leaders met Union Minister JP Nadda at his Delhi home. “The minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level,” CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said on social media. “However, no commitments have been made so far.”
International Condemnation
Amnesty International India board chair Aakar Patel said in a statement that “the images and reports emerging from the protest at Jantar Mantar show how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India.” He added: “The role of the authorities is to protect and facilitate peaceful protests, not to suppress them. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized under international human rights law and the Indian Constitution.”
Patel called on Delhi Police to “exercise restraint and immediately cease the use of unlawful force against peaceful protesters” and urged authorities to ensure that all allegations of unlawful conduct, including the reported excessive use of batons, tear gas, and stone-throwing by police personnel, are promptly, independently, and impartially investigated.
The protest movement has drawn parallels to other youth-led uprisings in the region, such as South Korea's ballot shortages that ignited youth-led demands for electoral integrity. In India, the “cockroach” movement has become a symbol of resistance against a government that critics say is increasingly intolerant of dissent.
As the protests continue, the question remains whether the Modi government will address the underlying grievances or continue to crack down on peaceful demonstrators. For now, the youth of India are making their voices heard, even as they face batons and tear gas.
