India’s political landscape has been roiled by escalating mass protests in New Delhi this week, centered on widespread public anger over repeated government failures to secure national examinations and address a broken education system. What began as a small grassroots online movement has exploded into the largest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third-term Hindu nationalist administration since it took office in 2024.
The unrest traces its roots to a string of high-stakes testing scandals that have eroded public trust in India’s education assessment system. Most recently, 2.2 million aspiring medical students were forced to retake their entrance exam under heavy security last month after the original test was cancelled over a widespread question paper leak. That incident followed a separate scandal involving flawed online marking for nearly 2 million high school students, amplifying youth frustration that has been simmering for months.
These grievances coalesced into the fast-growing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a grassroots movement that launched in May and has already gained millions of followers across Indian social media platforms. On Monday, the CJP called for mass demonstrations in the capital, demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and sweeping structural reforms to India’s education system. Thousands of protesters flooded New Delhi’s streets, igniting the largest public clashes in the city in five years.
Tensions boiled over on Monday when security forces deployed tear gas and baton charges to disperse crowds, prompting protesters to respond by throwing stones at officers. Official police figures put the injury toll at 60 civilians and 118 police personnel, but CJP organizers claim hundreds of protesters were hurt, a far higher number than the official count. The violence prompted condemnation from opposition parties, with senior Congress Party leader Sandeep Dixit telling Agence France-Presse that “our Constitution got trampled upon” and that no responsible citizen could stand aside in the wake of the crackdown.
On Tuesday, protests entered a second day, with thousands of demonstrators remaining camped at New Delhi’s iconic Jantar Mantar protest site, vowing not to leave until their demands are met. Congress Party leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi joined the demonstrations Tuesday morning, calling directly for Prime Minister Modi to step down over the damage the crisis has inflicted on India’s young people. “Modi must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Gandhi told the crowd before staging a peaceful sit-in directly outside the prime minister’s official residence. He accused the ruling government of refusing to accept accountability for the scandals or allow a parliamentary debate on the crisis.
Footage captured by Agence France-Presse shows uniformed security personnel, some wearing body armor, forcibly detaining Gandhi and several other opposition lawmakers. Officers carried Gandhi by his arms and legs through crowds of demonstrators before bundling him into a waiting police bus. Chaotic scenes followed as protesters attempted to block the vehicle and climb aboard before it sped away from the site.
Gandhi later shared images of his detention on social media, affirming that the protest movement would not be halted by government crackdowns. As of Tuesday evening, Modi has not issued any direct public comment on the protests or Gandhi’s detention. India’s Parliament was adjourned on Tuesday after opposition lawmakers walked out and demanded an urgent debate on what they call the “brutality unleashed on students” by security forces.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke addressed supporters Tuesday from atop a lorry, urging protesters to maintain their resolve. “They want to break our spirit,” Dipke said. “Do not let them silence you.” CJP spokesman Ashutosh Ranka called the government crackdown a shameful moment for Indian democracy, noting that peaceful student protesters advocating for a legitimate grievance were brutally targeted by police. Ranka, who met with senior ruling party official JP Nadda on Monday, said the government has yet to offer any formal response to the movement’s core demands.
Young protesters have shown no sign of backing down, with many saying the violent police response has only hardened their commitment to reform. “We have become even more fearless now,” 25-year-old law student Chandra Pratap Sishwi told reporters. “When I saw people being beaten up by the police like that, my blood boiled.”
On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Modi administration’s response, saying officials had acted quickly to address the exam leaks by arresting multiple individuals implicated in the scandals. He also told reporters that Modi had called for the creation of a “foolproof system” to prevent future testing irregularities during a closed-door meeting with governing coalition allies.