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Tear gas at Parliament
Police used tear gas and batons to stop supporters of India’s youth-led Cockroach movement from marching to Parliament on Monday, as thousands tried to breach security barricades in central New Delhi.
The Associated Press said the crackdown came after demonstrators attempted to breach security barricades surrounding the protest site in central New Delhi, and that many protesters continued marching toward Parliament in small groups.
Delhi Police said the march had not been authorized and that restrictions were needed to maintain law and order around Parliament during the monsoon session, which began Monday.
Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das accused authorities of “brutally cracking down” on “peaceful protesters,” while the BBC reported police wielding canes used tear gas to disperse crowds in central Delhi.
The BBC said the tens of thousands of supporters gathered from early morning at Jantar Mantar, a 300-year-old observatory in central Delhi, and remained there despite heavy rain before being halted at successive barricades.
Talks with JP Nadda
Despite the crackdown, the government appeared to make its first outreach to the movement’s leaders when representatives held talks with Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
DW reported that CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said he had been at Health Minister J P Nadda's office since noon, and that Nadda assured the CJP representatives he would hold discussions at the appropriate level.
In a statement on X, Nadda said, “The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere,” and that protesters submitted a written petition to him around 4 PM.
The BBC said that by early afternoon, two CJP representatives met Health Minister JP Nadda after waiting outside his residence for about two hours, and that Das said Nadda assured them he would raise the matter within the government.
Still, the BBC reported that neither the meeting nor the statement “did much to ease tensions,” with thousands remaining at Jantar Mantar and police later dismantling the protest site by late evening.
Demands and wider fallout
The protests were driven by demands that include the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and reforms to the examination system, with demonstrators also calling for compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following paper leaks.
Al Jazeera said more than 10,000 marched toward India’s parliament in New Delhi, and that the march coincided with the first day of the monsoon session of parliament.
Al Jazeera quoted Delhi’s deputy commissioner of police Sachin Sharma telling protesters, “The protest site has already run out of space, and this can lead to an untoward situation,” while also adding that more than 10,000 protesters were at the Jantar Mantar and on the march.
The Associated Press reported that protesters were demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reforms to the examination system and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following paper leaks.
NPR said the movement’s demands also included the release of a detained activist and the education minister’s resignation, and it described authorities cutting off mobile internet and putting up barricades near the protest site before riot police charged with batons and shields.
