Thousands of supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, a day after violent clashes with police during a march to Parliament, as protests over the national medical entrance examination paper leak entered a new phase.
Organizers estimated that more than 5,000 protesters assembled at the designated protest site, renewing their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The agitation follows allegations that question papers for the national medical entrance examination were leaked in May, affecting nearly two million candidates.
Local media have also linked the controversy to several student suicides, intensifying public anger.
The protests have emerged as one of the biggest political challenges confronting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his third term. According to a Cabinet minister, Modi has vowed to punish those responsible for the examination leak, marking his first public remarks on the issue since the controversy erupted.
Modi told lawmakers of his ruling alliance that the government acted immediately on receiving reports of exam irregularities and 13 people were arrested and jailed, Parliamentary Affairs Kiren ‘ Rijiju said.
Modi also said a re-examination had been successfully conducted.
“The prime minister said… that to ensure the future of youth is not jeopardised… everyone should unite to ensure strict steps are taken, those guilty punished, and a foolproof system is created,” Rijiju said.
The Delhi Police said nearly 180 people including 118 police and security personnel and around 60 protesters were injured in Monday’s clashes in central Delhi. However, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed that more than 150 protesters were receiving treatment in hospitals.
In a post on X, Dipke urged supporters to assemble only at Jantar Mantar, warning that “goons” may have been sent to other parts of Delhi to create disturbances. He maintained that such individuals were not associated with the CJP.
Political leaders from across the opposition visited or expressed support for the protest on Tuesday. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met protesters at Jantar Mantar, while Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the agitation as peaceful and questioned the government’s handling of the demonstrations. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also visited the protest site in solidarity with the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, high drama unfolded outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, where Delhi Police detained Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other opposition leaders during a sit-in demanding the resignation of the Union education minister.
Following her release from detention, Priyanka Gandhi called on the Centre to introduce legislation to reform the education system and prevent future examination paper leaks.
The protests also exposed differences within the opposition. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has backed the CJP movement, criticized the Congress protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence, alleging it distracted attention from the students’ agitation. Senior AAP leader Atishi questioned why Congress leaders were allowed to stage a sit-in while, she claimed, the government had refused to engage with CJP protesters despite their month-long campaign.
Separately, the Delhi High Court permitted activist Sonam Wangchuk to be shifted to Medanta Hospital in Delhi, where he was transferred later in the day.
The CJP, which began as an online satirical movement before evolving into a youth-led political campaign, has maintained that its protests will continue until the government accepts responsibility for the examination leak and implements comprehensive reforms to safeguard the integrity of competitive examinations.