A youth‑driven movement named the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has claimed the streets of Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a police crackdown on its protest in late July 2026. The protest, sparked by alleged exam‑paper leaks, has grown in size, with tens of thousands marching to parliamentary grounds and besieging Jantar Mantar, the historic observatory, as the monsoon session began.
The police response on Monday was described as brutal: batons, tear gas and a stage dismantlement that left demonstrators in a continuous sit‑in for forty‑eight hours. Senior opposition leaders, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and veteran politician Sharad Pawar, visited the protest grounds the following day, signalling expanded national support.
Confronted by the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and other MPs staged an unexpected march by the Prime Minister’s residence on Tuesday. They demanded not only the resignation of the Education Minister but also a public apology to the student community in a show of solidarity with the CJP’s hunger‑striking activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since the protest’s inception on 18 July.
In response, Pradhan criticized the Congress for “using students as political tools” and criticized the movement as a distraction from genuine reforms. He vowed that the government remains committed to “answers, reforms and accountability” for the student body, yet did not address the immediate demands for his resignation.
The CJP’s rapid growth from a satirical remark on employment and journalism to a mass protest movement showcases the strength of public dissent against the Modi administration in recent years. Protests are now reported in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, expanding the pressure beyond New Delhi.
