India’s ‘cockroach’ movement suspends street marches following police violence
Leaders of the satirical protest group announce a halt to rallies in New Delhi, while opposition figures and the judiciary respond to the escalating political crisis over leaked medical exams.
Leaders of India’s ‘cockroach’ protest movement have announced they will cease street marches in New Delhi following violent clashes with police that left nearly 180 people injured. The decision by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) comes after demonstrators attempting to march to parliament on Monday were met with tear gas, canes, and batons by security forces.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, stated at a news conference on Tuesday that the movement would not march again due to safety concerns for its supporters. “We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again,” Dipke said, noting that 150 protesters had been wounded during the unrest. The group confirmed it would continue its campaign through other means, maintaining its demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The movement emerged in response to a leak of medical exam papers that forced 2.2 million aspiring doctors to retake their exams. The incident reportedly contributed to at least 12 student suicides, prompting the CJP to demand compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each family of the deceased students. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka emphasised that the group would not stop until Minister Pradhan was sacked.
Tensions escalated further after veteran activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike in solidarity with the protesters, was seized by police and hospitalised. The Delhi High Court ruled on Tuesday that Wangchuk could be transferred from a government hospital to a private healthcare facility after his wife petitioned the court, alleging he was being held in illegal detention.
While the CJP suspended its marches, opposition leaders staged separate demonstrations. Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday, demanding answers regarding the treatment of students. Meanwhile, Amnesty International condemned the police response as a suppression of dissent, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged that the atmosphere should not be vitiated while talks continue.
