Cockroach party says minister agrees to consider protest demands

Leaders of India’s youth led Cockroach Janta Party movement said Monday that a federal minister had agreed to weigh the group’s demands after thousands of protesters marched toward parliament despite police efforts to disperse them with tear gas and cane charges.

The months old movement and its latest demonstration represent the most significant public challenge yet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his third term in office. The campaign has drawn millions of supporters on social media before expanding to attract backing from opposition parties as well.

Momentum behind the movement surged after police forcibly transferred hunger striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday, a move that galvanized supporters demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over leaked examination papers. Movement members say the leak of papers for a national medical school entrance exam in May, which forced roughly 2 million students to retake the test and contributed to several suicides, reflects deep corruption within the education system.

Thousands of young supporters gathered overnight at the protest site of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi ahead of the march, timed to coincide with the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session. Protesters chanted for officials to step down, calling for both Pradhan and Modi to quit in Hindi slogans repeated throughout the demonstration. Police and paramilitary personnel deployed in large numbers across the capital, intercepting protesters as they marched and waved the national flag.

Health Minister J.P. Nadda has requested time to discuss the movement’s demands within government, according to Ashutosh Ranka, the Cockroach Janta Party’s national spokesperson, who shared the update in a social media post Monday.

The group’s demands include Wangchuk’s release, since he has continued his hunger strike in solidarity with the broader movement, Pradhan’s resignation, and compensation of 10 million rupees for the family of each student who died by suicide following the paper leak. Media reports indicate roughly 12 people have taken their own lives in connection with the controversy.

Nadda said movement leaders submitted a formal memorandum to the government following roughly four hours of verbal discussions, describing the meetings as cordial.

The protest movement has grown rapidly since its emergence months ago, evolving from an online youth campaign into a broader coalition that now includes opposition political figures, reflecting mounting public frustration over corruption allegations and the government’s handling of the examination scandal. The government’s willingness to engage in direct talks with movement leaders marks a notable shift after weeks of tension, though it remains unclear whether Monday’s discussions will lead to concrete action on demands that include a cabinet level resignation.