Protesters demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam paper leaks faced a police crackdown on Monday, the opening day of the monsoon parliamentary session. Thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) attempted to march from Jantar Mantar to parliament in New Delhi, escalating their demonstration.
During the confrontation, at least 60 protesters were injured, with some requiring immediate medical attention. One young man sustained a severe head wound, while another student suffered a broken leg. Police reported that 118 of their personnel were also injured.
Around the time CJP leaders were meeting with Health Minister JP Nadda, police and paramilitary forces moved in to clear the protest site. Plainclothes officers joined uniformed police in dispersing the demonstrators, with reports of protesters being beaten with sticks. Loudspeakers repeatedly warned demonstrators to leave, stating the protest was over.
Despite the government's actions, the CJP's resolve appeared to strengthen after internet services, which had been blocked in the area, were restored, revealing the extent of the violence. The organization's spokesperson, Saurav Das, described the meeting with Minister Nadda as yielding no concrete assurances, only a promise that the government would look into the matter. Another CJP leader, Ashutosh Ranka, characterized the four-hour wait for the meeting as a waste of time.
The CJP's call for a march to parliament had drawn tens of thousands of participants from across the country. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi voiced support for the students' demands, calling them legitimate and labeling Prime Minister Modi as the most anti-youth prime minister. The government had not engaged with the demonstrators until Minister Nadda met with some CJP leaders on Monday.