Indian student protesters reject Modi response, keep up demand for minister’s resignation

NEW DELHI: Student protesters in India have rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to the exam paper leak controversy and said their campaign will continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down.

In a statement, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka described it as a positive sign that the prime minister had finally responded after nearly one and a half months of protests. Press Trust of India quoted Ranka as saying,

Perhaps his foreign visits are over, and he has returned to India, which is a good thing

Ranka repeated the group’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation and said the sit-in would continue until responsibility was fixed. He said,

We will not leave this place until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns

He also questioned the value of punitive steps taken after exam papers have already been leaked. Ranka said,

What punishment are you imposing after the paper leak has already taken place? That is not going to solve the problem of paper leaks. The real question is why paper leaks are happening in the first place. That question must be answered

Referring to the government’s response, he argued that action after the fact was insufficient and that the priority should be prevention. He said,

Applying ointment after an injury is one thing, but the real fight is about preventing the injury from happening in the first place

Ranka further alleged that repeated leaks reflected a lack of accountability and competence in the system. He said,

The injury keeps happening because the people running the system are neither accountable nor competent. Therefore, these measures are not sufficient by any means

Modi’s first direct comments

Ranka was responding after Modi, in his first direct remarks linked to the protests, promised strict action against those involved in exam fraud. In a social media post, Modi said,

Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth

The prime minister also said fast-track courts would be established to punish those involved in question paper leaks. He added,

Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared

Opposition criticism and widening protests

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also reacted to Modi’s post, saying it was the prime minister who had done the greatest damage to the future of young people. Gandhi said,

You allowed and encouraged the total capture and destruction of our education system - and protected every person responsible for it

He again called for Pradhan to be removed, for Modi to apologise to students and for punishment for those who assaulted them.

The protests, led mainly by young students, have been calling for the education minister’s resignation over exam paper leaks since last month. Demonstrations intensified on Monday when police used tear gas and batons against tens of thousands of people trying to march to parliament on the first day of the monsoon session.

As the confrontation worsened, protesters threw stones back at police in what was described as the largest street demonstration in New Delhi in about five years. Police said at least 178 people, including security personnel, were injured.

The Cockroach Janta Party, which has millions of followers on social media, first emerged in May as a satirical reaction to reports that Chief Justice Surya Kant had likened young people to cockroaches and parasites during a court hearing. Since then, the movement has expanded its focus to unemployment, opportunities for youth and what it says is Modi’s increasingly authoritarian way of governing.

The unrest has become one of the most serious challenges faced by Modi since he won a third term in 2024. Anger has been fuelled by a series of exam controversies, including the leak of a medical entrance paper that led to more than two million candidates sitting the test again. Another row involving online marking of exams taken by nearly two million high school students has added to public resentment.