India's "Cockroach" Movement Protesters Caned, Tear Gassed Near Parliament

Supporters of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement have been caned and tear gassed by police as they sought to march on the nation's parliament, despite authorities denying permission for the protest.

Thousands of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday to demand the resignation of the country's education minister as part of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, sparked by leaked medical school entrance test papers.

Police fired tear gas and charged at protesters with batons after demonstrators tried to breach security barricades surrounding the protest site in central New Delhi.

It marked one of the most serious confrontations yet in the movement's campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Despite the police crackdown, many protesters continued marching toward parliament in small groups.

The two-month-old CJP movement and the planned protest is seen as the biggest public challenge to Mr Modi in his third term in office, garnering millions of supporters on social media and mobilising support on the ground as well.

The movement has been galvanised since police forcibly moved hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital on Saturday, with thousands of supporters arriving at the protest site through the night for a march on the opening day of parliament's monsoon session.

Scores of police and paramilitary security personnel were deployed at the heavily barricaded site.

"Quit, quit," the protesters chanted.

"Dharmendra Pradhan quit", "Narendra Modi quit" they chanted in Hindi, referring to the education minister as well as the prime minister.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das accused authorities of "brutally cracking down" on "peaceful protesters".

Delhi Police said the march had not been authorised and that restrictions were needed to maintain law and order around parliament during the monsoon session, which began Monday.

India's opposition leaders, including National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, have come out in support of the protest and criticised the police response.

All India Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said she attended the protest earlier on Monday.

"Soon after total internet shut down and brutality started," she wrote on X.

Internet services in the area have been shut down with the Internet Freedom Foundation criticising the move, saying "all of India deserve better".

"A blanket suspension across densely populated parts of the capital, imposed as a "precaution" against a march to Parliament, is the opposite of a narrowly tailored, least restrictive measure," it wrote on X.

"A shutdown timed to a protest restricts the freedoms of speech and assembly at the very moment they matter most."

Government discussing CJP's demands

The CJP had earlier said its founder Abhijeet Dipke was "picked up" by police as two other leaders held talks with Health Minister J.P. Nadda but later clarified Mr Dipke was was not in detention or under arrest.

"While we submit a written letter … he (Nadda) has assured us that he will meanwhile speak internally. We are in that process," chief spokesperson Saurav Das said on X after meeting the minister for "10 minutes".

But Mr Nadda has asked for time to discuss the CJP's demands within the government, Ashutosh Ranka, the movement's national spokesperson, said in a post on X.

The demands include Mr Wangchuk's release, Mr Pradhan's resignation and compensation of 10 million rupees ($148,000) each for exam aspirants who died by suicide.

There was no immediate comment from Mr Nadda or the government on the talks.

The movement began after national medical school entrance test papers were leaked in May, affecting more than 2 million students as it forced them to sit the test a second time.

"All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak," said Adi Nathan, a 21-year-old student from Meerut city.

Mohammed Tabrez, a 22-year-old student preparing for competitive examinations that allow student admissions into professional courses or jobs, said he had come from Amroha in the Uttar Pradesh state.

"We want this corruption to end," he said.

Activist sets terms to end his fast

The CJP initially drew support largely online, amassing 22 million followers on Instagram within days before broadening its appeal and drawing the support of some opposition parties.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and his supporters began a sit-in last month seeking the resignation of Mr Pradhan.

On June 28 they were joined by Mr Wangchuk, who launched an indefinite hunger strike at the site.

In a handwritten note from hospital posted on his X account on Monday, Mr Wangchuk said he would end his fast if the government takes accountability for the paper leaks and recent failures in the education system, or if CJP protesters are allowed to reach parliament and lawmakers assure them that the issues would be taken up in the chambers.

He said he would also end the fast if lawmakers and leaders of various parties meet him in hospital and give him the same assurances since his health does not allow him to march on parliament.

The rise of the CJP reflects frustration among young Indians over issues like high youth unemployment and frequent examination paper leaks, analysts say.