A mass march towards India’s parliament by supporters of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on 20 July was met with baton charges and tear gas by Delhi Police, leaving at least 60 protesters and 118 police personnel injured, according to official figures. The demonstrators, who had gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site for over a month, were demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance exam and other competitive tests. The police action, which the CJP described as a brutal crackdown on peaceful students, triggered a sharp political escalation the following day.

On 21 July, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, led a surprise sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, demanding accountability for the police action and the resignations of Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Pradhan. Delhi Police detained Gandhi and several other opposition figures after they refused to disperse. The government dispatched Minister of State Jitendra Singh to negotiate; he later stated that Gandhi had initially agreed to end the protest in exchange for a parliamentary debate on the exam issue, but then added the precondition of Pradhan’s resignation. Congress leaders denied any shift in demands, calling the talks inconclusive.

The CJP movement, which began as an online satire mocking a judge’s reference to unemployed youth as “cockroaches,” has drawn millions of Gen Z followers and evolved into one of the most visible challenges to Modi’s third term. Its core demands include Pradhan’s removal, a revamp of the examination system, and compensation for families of students who died following the exam turmoil. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the protest with an indefinite hunger strike, was forcibly removed by police on 18 July and taken to hospital; a court later allowed his transfer to a private facility. The CJP announced it would continue its sit-in but would not attempt another march on parliament, citing fears of further police violence.

Parliament remained deadlocked for a second day as opposition MPs demanded a discussion on the police action and the exam leaks. The government, through Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, said Modi had called for a “foolproof” examination system and swift punishment for those involved in paper leaks, while Pradhan accused the Congress of exploiting students as “political tools.” Viewed from New Delhi, the standoff has fused youth anger over economic precarity and educational corruption with a broader opposition offensive against the government. With the monsoon session disrupted and the CJP protest persisting at Jantar Mantar, the dossier remains open: the government has signalled willingness for a debate but not for ministerial resignations, while the opposition and the protesters insist on both.