India youth group says protest to continue after Delhi clashes injure 180

Cockroach Janta Party drops parliament march plan, demands education minister's resignation over exam leaks

India's youth-led "cockroach" movement said it would continue its protest demanding the resignation of the education minister on Tuesday, a day after violent protests disrupted central Delhi, injuring scores of protesters and police personnel.

Thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns gathered to march on parliament on Monday, joining a movement that began as an online satire but has turned out to become the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term.

The months-old movement by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party has drawn the support of millions of young, Gen Z Indians who are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks that affected more than two million students in May. It says the leaking of the papers for a national entrance test to medical school in May — which forced students to re-test, and led to some taking their own lives — was a sign of deep-seated corruption in education.

Nearly 180 people were injured and taken to nearby state-run hospitals on Monday, with a majority of them discharged after first-aid, after clashes between the protesters and security personnel in which police used cane charges and tear gas.

Read: Founder of viral Indian Gen Z account alleges crackdown, threats

Delhi Police said that the injured included more than 118 security and police personnel and 60 protesters. Seventy protesters had been detained and legal action would be initiated against them, it said in a statement late on Monday.

Nearly 500 protesters gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi on Tuesday, chanting slogans amid a mild drizzle. Security remained tight with paramilitary personnel patrolling in some areas and barricades slowing traffic.

"The protest against the education minister continues at Jantar Mantar," the CJP movement said in a post on X. “We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police," CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said in a post on X, apologising to supporters, especially girls who he said were beaten by male police officers.

I apologise to all our supporters, especially the girls who were brutally beaten by male police officers.

We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police.

To protect one Dharmendra Pradhan, who is responsible for…

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 21, 2026

The movement galvanized after the support of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began a hunger strike on June 28, but was forcibly moved to a hospital by the authorities on Saturday.

The CJP said it would continue its anti-government protest but will not march again. Dipke said the march on parliament was being called off as the group did not want more youth to be hurt. "We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again," he told a press conference.

Delhi Police said protesters had "displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour" and "deliberately violated the prohibitory orders in force", despite warnings on Monday.

"I think when the talks are going on in a right direction, the atmosphere should not be vitiated," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday after Modi addressed lawmakers of his Bharatiya Janata Party.

Underlying discontent to remain Modi's challenge, analyst says

"They beat us black and blue and they damaged our protest site,” Sahil Singh, a protester from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh told Reuters. “We want accountability to be set with Pradhan's resignation."

On Monday, Health Minister JP Nadda met two CJP leaders and sought time to discuss their demands within the government. The demands include the release of Wangchuk, Pradhan's resignation and compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student ​who died by suicide following the leak. About a dozen students took their own lives after the exam paper leak, local media reported.

The CJP’s surge ‌in popularity reflects ⁠frustrations among young Indians including job shortages as well as exam leaks, which they say happen frequently.

Read More: India blocks Telegram app over medical exam fraud

Dipke and his supporters began a sit-in last month seeking Pradhan's resignation. Some leaders from the opposition and social media influencers also joined the protest on Monday.

Opposition parties criticised the government for using force against young protesters. Leaders of Modi’s party said the violence seemed orchestrated.

Analysts said even if the talks succeed in calming the protests, the underlying discontent among dissatisfied youngsters has the potential to present the most formidable challenge to Modi’s government going forward. “This is an issue which affects everyone … any crackdown against the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters, as the government is wont to do, will only serve to fuel anger,” said Pearl Pandya, senior analyst for Asia Pacific at conflict monitoring research group ACLED.