Tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets of India's capital, Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and sweeping reforms to the country's education system.
The demonstrations were organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that began only a few months ago as a satirical online campaign but has rapidly evolved into one of India's most prominent protest movements.
Despite its name, the CJP is not a political party. It was founded by 30-year-old political communications strategist and former Boston University student Abhijeet Dipke, who said the initiative started as a joke before gaining momentum after tens of thousands of people signed up through an online registration form.
The movement announced a march to Parliament on 20 July, drawing tens of thousands of protesters to Delhi, while solidarity demonstrations and candlelight vigils were also held in cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Goa.
The protests gained further momentum after engineer and activist Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike on 28 June in support of the movement at Jantar Mantar, a well-known protest site in central Delhi.
Wangchuk was later taken to hospital, reportedly against his will, after several weeks without food. The move sparked outrage among supporters, with the 59-year-old continuing his hunger strike from hospital.
The movement's unusual name stems from remarks allegedly made by India's Chief Justice, Surya Kant, during a court hearing in May, when unemployed young people entering journalism and activism were reportedly compared to "cockroaches" and "parasites". The Chief Justice later clarified that his comments referred only to individuals with fraudulent qualifications.
The name also parodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed India since 2014. Protesters have embraced the symbolism by dressing as cockroaches during demonstrations and community clean-up campaigns.
The CJP's primary focus is reforming India's education system, particularly following the controversy surrounding this year's National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the country's entrance examination for medical schools.
Nearly 2.3 million candidates wrote the examination in May, only for it to be cancelled days later after allegations that the question paper had been leaked. A government investigation later confirmed the leak, forcing students to rewrite the examination under heightened security.
The movement says the cancellation caused severe emotional distress among students, with families alleging that around 20 students died by suicide following the incident.
Protesters are calling for greater accountability over examination paper leaks, comprehensive education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Following the treatment of Wangchuk, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down.
Monday's demonstration was one of the largest protests against Modi's government in recent years. Clashes broke out after demonstrators attempted to breach police barricades, prompting officers to use batons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Scores of protesters and police officers were reportedly injured.
Police later dismantled the protest stage and temporary structures at Jantar Mantar, but demonstrators refused to leave, with supporters continuing to gather at the site despite heavy rain and high temperatures.
The police response has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Leaders from the Congress Party staged a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, accusing authorities of suppressing peaceful demonstrations.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said Congress had resorted to protesting outside the Prime Minister's residence after being prevented from raising the matter in Parliament. Videos later shared by the party showed Gandhi and several Members of Parliament being detained by police before being released hours later.
Several opposition leaders have since condemned the police action and called for accountability.
In his first public comments following the unrest, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the Congress Party of exploiting students for political gain. In a post on X, he said the government remained committed to addressing students' concerns but claimed the opposition had prioritised political confrontation over constructive dialogue.
Pradhan did not directly address the ongoing protests, and the CJP had not publicly responded to his remarks at the time of publication.