Opposition parties in India have shut down parliament in a protest calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, showing solidarity with the youth-led 'Cockroach' movement. Led by Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, politicians gathered outside the parliament building in Delhi on Wednesday, dressed in black and waving placards demanding Pradhan's resignation.
Parliament proceedings suspended
Inside the parliament chamber, proceedings were suspended after opposition figures demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government address police violence against young protesters on Monday and the scandals engulfing crucial exams. The previous day, Gandhi was briefly detained by police after staging a sit-in outside Modi's residence, accusing the prime minister of 'destroying the future of India's youth.' Gandhi's sister, Priyanka, a senior Congress strategist, was also briefly detained on Tuesday; police confirmed they were later released.
The Cockroach Janata party movement
The opposition protests support the Cockroach Janata party (CJP), a mass youth movement that began as a satirical online joke but has grown into a significant political challenge to the Modi government. On Monday, the CJP held one of the biggest anti-government protests in years, with dozens injured after police used teargas and baton charges. More than 1,000 people remained camped at the CJP protest site in central Delhi on Wednesday despite gruelling heat and humidity, vowing not to move until the education minister resigns and the government listens to their demands. Food deliveries from supporters, including orders from abroad, have kept protesters fed with biryani, pizza, rice, and dal. 'In the country where people had forgotten how to ask questions, in the country where criticising the government was considered treason – we have now awakened that country,' said CJP spokesman Ashutosh Ranka to loud cheers.
Demands and police violence
The CJP's demands for education system changes and Pradhan's resignation arose from repeated exam scandals, but the movement has grown to voice broader youth frustrations. An estimated 50,000 people protested in Delhi on Monday, despite police denying permission to march on parliament. Police reported 60 civilians and 118 personnel injured, accusing protesters of instigating clashes. Organisers condemned 'high-handedness' by authorities, saying hundreds of peaceful protesters were injured, including at least one woman on a ventilator in intensive care. Amnesty International accused Delhi police of excessive force. India's Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear a petition alleging police brutality against protesters.
Political reactions
Congress accused the Modi government of refusing to address student issues and the 'brutality unleashed on students' in parliament. 'The government doesn't want to take any accountability, nor does it want to have a debate on it in parliament,' said Gandhi. Protests supporting the CJP were also held in Mumbai and Bengaluru, drawing hundreds. Modi has not commented directly, but Education Minister Pradhan, who earlier dismissed CJP protesters as a 'B-team of terrorists,' took a conciliatory tone in his first comments since Monday. In a social media post, he said: 'We owe them [students] answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering.' He added: 'The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign,' referring to Gandhi's protest. Several key opposition parties have supported the movement and condemned police violence. Sandeep Dikshit, a senior Congress leader, said: 'What happened yesterday is our constitution got trampled upon. After that, no self-respecting politician or citizen can stand aside.'
