India’s student-led protesters plan parliament march after activist removed

Tens of thousands of mostly student protesters are expected to march toward India’s Parliament in New Delhi on Monday, Al Jazeera reported, demanding the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The planned march raises pressure on the government after weeks of anger over examination scandals and the police removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from a protest site.

Supporters of the viral “cockroach” movement have occupied Jantar Mantar, a central Delhi protest area a few kilometres from parliament, for nearly a month, according to Al Jazeera. Their campaign grew after paper leaks, technical problems and cancelled tests fueled outrage among students and jobseekers.

Police removed Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar on Saturday, 20 days after the 59-year-old education reformer began a hunger strike in solidarity with the movement, Al Jazeera reported. Police cited a court order and Wangchuk’s health. His wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, said he was taken to hospital against his will and accused authorities of using medical care to mask “illegal detention.”

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, called for the march after Wangchuk was taken away, according to Al Jazeera. The timing coincides with the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session.

How the movement began

The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, is a satirical “people’s party” formed after India’s top judge compared government critics and unemployed young people to “cockroaches” and “parasites,” Al Jazeera reported. Dipke, a former Boston University student, then posted on X asking what would happen if “all cockroaches came together.”

The joke quickly became an organising tool, according to Al Jazeera. Dipke launched a website for supporters as his Instagram following grew, and he later returned to New Delhi from the United States to turn the online campaign into street protests.

The movement’s first demand was Pradhan’s dismissal. Al Jazeera reported that protesters accuse the education minister of failing to act over repeated exam paper leaks, which they link to student suicides over the past decade.

What protesters are demanding

The CJP is calling for changes to India’s competitive examination system and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after leaks and exam results, according to Al Jazeera. Pradhan has refused to resign and has described the protesters as the “B team of terrorists.” Modi has not responded to the protests, Al Jazeera reported.

Wangchuk had announced on July 8 that protesters would march to parliament to demand Pradhan’s resignation. After his removal, Dipke said the movement would now demand Modi’s resignation as well.

Saurav Das, the CJP’s chief spokesman, told Al Jazeera the march was “to reclaim our India” and called it a fight for students and the country’s future. Das also said Wangchuk was being held illegally and that the grounds for detention had not been provided to the movement.

Angmo has asked a court to move Wangchuk from a government hospital to a private facility of the family’s choosing, according to Al Jazeera.

Security tightens in Delhi

Al Jazeera reported a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces in New Delhi as thousands responded to Dipke’s call. Other activist groups and political parties have also expressed support for the march and urged people to join.

Three doctoral students from the All India Students Association — Neha Bora, Aameen Amitoj and Manish — had joined Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike, according to Al Jazeera. Police also entered their tents during Saturday’s operation before protesters pushed them out.

Dipke has urged supporters to remain peaceful, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said he has been attacked at least twice in the past month, including being slapped at an event in Jaipur and hit with an ink-like substance on Saturday.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.