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The Cockroach Janta Party maintained a presence at the Jantar Mantar observatory in central Delhi on Tuesday after police moved in to disperse thousands of protesters who had planned a march to parliament the previous day. Officers employed batons and tear gas during the Monday operation that resulted in at least 60 protesters wounded along with 118 police personnel injured and 70 demonstrators detained according to accounts from both law enforcement and protest representatives. The group first occupied the site more than a month ago to demand an overhaul of the education system and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in national examinations.
Delhi Police reported that the crowd displayed unruly and aggressive conduct by refusing dispersal orders and throwing stones at officers during the attempted march. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke issued an apology to all supporters especially the girls who were brutally beaten by male police officers and confirmed that one injured participant was in critical condition. A CJP spokesperson separately rejected the police version of events and accused officers of initiating the violence at the long-running demonstration.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike before authorities forcibly removed him on Saturday and transferred him to a hospital the movement said. The protest adopted its cockroach label after the chief justice referred to unemployed young people with that term during a court hearing. This youth-driven satirical formation has since expanded to attract support from opposition parties farmer groups and several celebrities.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that the students’ demands were legitimate and described Modi as the most anti-youth prime minister India has ever had. The demonstration has drawn global attention while highlighting widespread public dissatisfaction with the current administration according to coverage by multiple Indian news outlets. Tens of thousands have participated in the actions at various stages over recent weeks.
Health Minister J P Nadda met with several CJP leaders on Monday in a session that both parties described as taking place in a cordial atmosphere. Nadda requested the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy at the location according to an official government statement. The CJP representative who attended said the discussion concluded with a government undertaking to review the matters raised but without any concrete timeline or assurances.
More than 2.28 million candidates sat for the NEET undergraduate medical entrance test on May 3 before the National Testing Agency cancelled and later rescheduled the examination amid claims of paper leaks. Protest compilations place the number of student suicides linked to the scandal at more than 20. A separate assessment by the International Labour Organization placed India’s youth unemployment rate at 18.2 percent in 2025 underscoring the broader frustrations that have fueled the Cockroach Janta Party campaign.
