{"id":1526960,"date":"2026-07-23T03:37:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T08:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1526960"},"modified":"2026-07-23T03:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T08:37:31","slug":"india-protest-movement-holds-capital-sit-in-as-police-crack-down-on-demonstrators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1526960","title":{"rendered":"India protest movement holds capital sit-in as police crack down on demonstrators"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
A protestor sits on the hood of a police car during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo\/Vipin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>NEW DELHI (AP) \u2014 Thousands of young protesters were camped on the streets of India\u2019s capital New Delhi on Thursday, defying new restrictions in the latest show of strength for a movement that has become one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s government.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s \u201cCockroach\u201d protests began more than a month ago over alleged leaks in some of the country\u2019s most competitive entrance exams for medical colleges and government jobs. The movement has since expanded beyond exam grievances, drawing professionals and families while channeling broader frustration.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, followed overnight clashes in which police used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, the second such confrontation this week.<\/p>\n

On Monday, thousands of protesters had defied restrictions and marched toward Parliament before police broke up the demonstration with tear gas and batons.<\/p>\n

Protesters regrouped by Thursday morning, returning to the protest site despite roadblocks, while authorities suspended Delhi Metro services at 16 stations across central New Delhi in an effort to limit access to the demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Modi tries to contain protest fallout<\/strong><\/p>\n

The issue of exam leaks has become a powerful symbol of frustration for millions of young Indians. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, examination system reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks.<\/p>\n

Facing mounting pressure, Modi addressed the issue publicly for the first time Thursday, announcing fast-track courts to handle examination paper leak cases. Fast-track courts are special courts created to speed up cases in India\u2019s notoriously slow justice system.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!,\u201d Modi wrote on X.<\/p>\n

The announcement failed to calm protesters, who said Modi was not addressing their demands for accountability and reform.<\/p>\n

\u201cRather than providing solution which is convenient for him, he should work toward a solution which is convenient for the nation and set an example,\u201d law student Daksh Bhargava said.
\nCockroach party stays true to satirical origins<\/p>\n

Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest movement, said they would not end the demonstrations until the education minister resigned. Staying true to the movement\u2019s tongue-in-cheek style, its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, responded by posting a meme of Pradhan captioned, \u201cHi, my name is Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cockroach movement began as online satire campaign in May and moved to the streets in June through smaller protests across cities. It gained momentum after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the demonstration and began a hunger strike that has lasted more than three weeks. Police forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Protests reflect rising youth anger<\/strong><\/p>\n

For many young Indians, the protests have become one of the few visible expressions of dissent in a country where demonstrations against Modi\u2019s government have led to a broader crackdown on activists, opposition figures and public protests.<\/p>\n

The movement\u2019s rapid growth beyond student groups reflects wider frustration among young Indians and echoes a broader trend across South Asia, where young people have driven anti-government movements in recent years.<\/p>\n

The movement also has gained a following among Indians of all ages over concerns about government accountability, unemployment and economic opportunity.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties have backed the protests, using the issue to challenge the government in Parliament. Demonstrations and solidarity events have been held in other Indian cities, reflecting how the movement has spread beyond the capital.<\/p>\n

India has one of the world\u2019s youngest populations, with millions entering a labor market that has struggled to create enough secure, well-paying jobs. Despite years of rapid economic growth, many young people say their prospects have not improved.<\/p>\n

As one of the country\u2019s largest voting blocs, India\u2019s youth could also become an increasingly important political force ahead of future elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thousands of young protesters were camped on the streets of India\u2019s capital New Delhi on Thursday, defying new restrictions in the latest show of strength for a movement that has become one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1526961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1502,1504],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1526960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-heads","category-abc-world-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":true,"date":"2026-07-25 03:36:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[0],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1526960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1526960"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1526960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1526962,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1526960\/revisions\/1526962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1526961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1526960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1526960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1526960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}