India’s ‘cockroach’ protest movement halts marches after police violence

What the report says

Al Jazeera, reporting with Reuters, says leaders of India’s “cockroach movement” have decided not to hold another march through New Delhi after clashes with police during a large protest on Monday. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said it would keep campaigning against the government but avoid further street marches in the capital because it fears supporters could be hurt. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said at a Tuesday news conference that police violence against young protesters was the reason for the change in tactics.

The movement is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged failures in the education system after leaked exam papers forced 2.2 million aspiring doctors to retake tests. Al Jazeera reports that the leak was linked in reports to at least 12 student suicides, and the CJP is seeking compensation of 10 million rupees for each affected family. The group said 150 protesters were injured when police used tear gas and batons during the march toward parliament.

Delhi police gave a different injury figure, saying nearly 180 people were hurt, including 60 protesters and 118 police and security personnel, and that 70 protesters were detained. Al Jazeera said videos showed police striking protesters, while no footage had emerged showing marchers being violent. Amnesty International criticized the police response as suppression of peaceful dissent.

The protests have also drawn national political attention. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi joined a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged that the atmosphere not be worsened while talks continue. The movement began as online satire after a Supreme Court remark comparing some unemployed youth to “cockroaches,” a label protesters adopted.