Police in India’s capital, Delhi, clashed with supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Monday during a march toward Parliament. The confrontation occurred on the first day of the monsoon session, when police used batons to disperse demonstrators participating in the ‘Parliament Chalo’ rally. Thousands had gathered to protest alleged irregularities in the national medical college entrance exam and to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement gained momentum after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly hospitalized during a hunger strike.

Authorities imposed temporary mobile internet shutdowns in parts of central Delhi and closed five key metro stations—Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Sewa Tirth—to control the situation. The CJP urged its supporters to remain peaceful despite police restrictions. Delhi Police had earlier banned gatherings of more than five people outside the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar.

The ‘Cockroach’ movement began online in May after a major exam paper leak affected millions of students, rapidly growing into a nationwide protest that poses a significant political challenge to the Modi government.