Indian protest group seeks release of detained students after crackdown

NEW DELHI: India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday demanded the release of protesters detained during weeks of demonstrations over exam paper leaks and irregularities, warning that keeping them in custody or pursuing cases against them would amount to a “breach of public trust”.

In a statement, the group said it had received reports that students were being held in detention, particularly in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. The CJP said authorities had earlier assured protesters that no punitive action would be taken, and accused the government of retreating from that position.

The demand came two days after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid mounting anger over repeated failures in the conduct of competitive examinations. The agitation has grown into one of the biggest political challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his re-election for a third term in 2024.

Tens of thousands of mostly student protesters rallied last week in New Delhi and other cities, initially calling for Pradhan’s resignation and wider reform of the examination system. The movement has since widened its message, linking exam disputes with youth unemployment, lack of opportunities and what it describes as Modi’s increasingly authoritarian style of governance.

The demonstrations turned violent in the Indian capital on July 20 when marchers tried to move from Jantar Mantar towards parliament. Police used tear gas and batons to break up the crowd, leading to clashes and a wave of detentions.

The issue spilled into parliament on Monday, where opposition lawmakers repeatedly disrupted proceedings while pressing the government to respond to the police action taken against demonstrators last week. Despite the uproar, the government tabled legislation in the lower house aimed at imposing tougher penalties for examination paper leaks.

Movement born online broadens its reach

The CJP has built a following of millions on social media since its launch in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke. It first emerged as a satirical response after Chief Justice Surya Kant was reported to have likened young people to “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing.

Since then, the campaign has evolved beyond online satire into a nationwide protest movement led largely by students. Public anger has been sharpened by a series of examination controversies, including the leak of a medical entrance paper that forced more than two million candidates to sit the test again.

Another dispute over the online marking of examinations taken by nearly two million high school students has further eroded confidence in India’s testing system.

The protest group said it would take “further necessary steps” if all detainees were not released and criminal cases were not withdrawn.