Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said the organization would no longer organize marches because of concerns for the safety of its supporters after the police response during Monday's demonstration. "We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again," Dipke said.
The movement has continued to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him responsible for alleged flaws in the education system. The protests gained momentum after the leak of examination papers forced approximately 2.2 million aspiring medical students to retake their examinations. According to the movement, the controversy contributed to at least 12 students dying by suicide. The CJP has demanded compensation of 10 million rupees (approximately $104,000) for the family of each student who took their own life following the examination leak.
Reaffirming the movement's stand, CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka declared, "We won't stop. Pradhan has to be sacked."
The protests also received political backing from the opposition. On Tuesday, Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, and members of the Indian National Congress staged a demonstration outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. Videos of the protest were shared by the party. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said they had marched to the Prime Minister's residence to demand answers regarding what he described as the brutal treatment of young students during the previous day's police action.
International human rights organization Amnesty International criticized the police response, stating late on Monday that the incident demonstrated how peaceful dissent was being suppressed in India.
Protesters alleged excessive use of force by the police. Sahil Singh, a participant from Uttar Pradesh, told Reuters that police officers beat demonstrators severely and damaged the protest site. He said the protesters were demanding accountability through the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
The turnout for Monday's march exceeded expectations, driven in part by widespread public anger after veteran activist Sonam Wangchuk, 59, who had been on a three-week hunger strike in solidarity with the CJP, was taken into police custody and hospitalized against his will.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court ruled that Wangchuk could be shifted from a government hospital to a private medical facility after his wife filed a petition alleging that he was being held in illegal detention.
Despite the suspension of street marches, the protest movement remained active. Around 200 supporters gathered at the CJP protest site at Jantar Mantar in central New Delhi on Tuesday morning, raising slogans despite monsoon drizzle. At the same time, paramilitary personnel continued patrolling key areas of the capital while barricades remained in place, restricting traffic movement.
Delhi Police stated that nearly 180 people were injured during Monday's clashes, including 60 protesters and 118 police and security personnel. Authorities also confirmed that 70 protesters had been detained and said legal proceedings would be initiated against them.
Several videos circulating from Monday's confrontation showed police personnel using force against protesters. However, no footage has emerged showing protesters engaging in violence during the march.
Despite the confrontation, the CJP expressed optimism that its campaign could still influence government policy. A representative of the movement said on Monday that a federal minister had assured protesters that the government would consider their demands.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also appealed for calm on Tuesday, stating, "I think when the talks are going on in a right direction, the atmosphere should not be vitiated."
The Cockroach Janta Party began as an online campaign fueled by viral satirical memes criticizing the government before rapidly attracting millions of followers across social media platforms. It later evolved into a mass protest movement capable of mobilizing thousands of demonstrators, as reflected in Monday's march through New Delhi.
The movement adopted the name "Cockroach" after the Chief Justice of India's Supreme Court reportedly compared some unemployed young people to cockroaches. Protesters embraced the remark and transformed the label into the identity of a nationwide campaign that has become one of the most prominent youth-led protests over education and government accountability.
The developments mark a significant moment in the ongoing confrontation between the protest movement and the government, with organizers suspending large-scale street marches while maintaining pressure for political accountability, justice for affected students, and reforms in India's education system.a
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