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🇳🇵 Nepal /Crime & Justice

Police cane supporters of India’s cockroach movement as thousands gather for march

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Thousands of supporters of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement marched on parliament in New Delhi, facing police caning despite a lack of permission.
  • The protest, seen as a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, was galvanized by police moving a hunger-striking activist to a hospital.
  • Police stated the protest was being handled professionally, while organizers expressed willingness to talk despite the use of force.

Police caned supporters of India's "cockroach" movement on Monday as thousands gathered in New Delhi to march on parliament, a day after authorities denied permission for the protest. The months-old movement, seen as the biggest public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term, has drawn millions of supporters online.

The protest site ⁠has already run out of space and this can lead to an untoward situation.

— Sachin SharmaDelhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police commenting on the large number of protesters.

Authorities' decision to move hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday galvanized the movement. Thousands of supporters arrived at the protest site of Jantar Mantar in the heart of New Delhi for the march on the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session. Delhi police held meetings with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) but reached no consensus, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma told Reuters. "The protest site has already run out of space and this can lead to an untoward situation," he said, noting around 10,000 protesters were present.

The administration is trying to open talks with the government... They have come very late, but we have opened our hearts and said that we are willing to talk to them.

— Saurav DasChief CJP spokesperson speaking to ANI news agency about negotiations with the administration.

Television visuals showed police caning some protesters in a heavily barricaded area. Delhi Police denied any use of force, stating the "protest is being handled professionally." Protesters chanted slogans including "Quit, quit" and "Dharmendra Pradhan quit," referring to the education minister and the prime minister. Saurav Das, chief CJP spokesperson, told ANI news agency, "The administration is trying to open talks with the government... They have come very late, but we have opened our hearts and said that we are willing to talk to them."

All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am ⁠here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak.

— Adi NathanA 21-year-old student explaining his reasons for protesting.

The CJP movement began after national medical school entrance test papers were leaked in May, affecting over 2 million students. "All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak," said 21-year-old student Adi Nathan. Mohammed Tabrez, 22, added, "We want this corruption to end. We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end and this is the reason I have come here."

We want this corruption to end. We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end and this is the reason I have come here.

— Mohammed TabrezA 22-year-old student explaining his reasons for protesting.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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