Hundreds of Cockroach movement supporters stayed at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, refusing to leave after police broke up a thousands-strong march toward Parliament a day earlier.
Delhi Police said nearly 180 people were injured — including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters — after officers used tear gas, beatings and detentions that protesters say only hardened their resolve.
Rahul Gandhi and dozens of Congress lawmakers escalated pressure with a sit-in outside Narendra Modi's residence before police forcibly removed them, widening the confrontation beyond student activists.
The movement, born two months ago from a satirical response to a judge's 'cockroaches' remark, now demands Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, exam reforms and compensation tied to alleged exam-linked student suicides.
A first government outreach on Monday failed to calm tensions, while Amnesty said the crackdown showed peaceful dissent being suppressed and fresh supporters joined after videos of the violence spread online.
After a brutal crackdown, will India's massive youth protest be silenced or will it reshape the nation's future?
Can a satirical 'Cockroach' movement actually fix India's broken education and employment system?
Delhi Police Injure 100+ in July 2026 Crackdown: Cockroach Janta Party and the Digital Youth Uprising
Overview
On July 20, 2026, New Delhi saw a massive protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), where thousands of mostly student demonstrators marched towards Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam irregularities. The protest, which shut down parts of the city, was met with a violent police crackdown as many protesters reached Parliament’s doorstep. This confrontation left over a hundred injured and sparked ongoing protests, highlighting deep youth frustration with unemployment and government accountability. The CJP’s rapid rise from online satire to street mobilization reflects growing discontent among India’s youth.