Thousands of protesters defied a police ban and marched through Delhi on Monday, July 20, 2026, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over a medical entrance exam paper leak that forced more than 2 million students to retake the test and has been linked to over 20 student suicides (The Guardian).

The march was organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led political movement founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May 2026 that started as a joke before becoming a real political force. The crowd was mostly students and young people. Hundreds had camped out overnight before the march. Delhi police, which reports to the central government, denied permission for the march, banned public gatherings, barricaded roads, and shut down internet access in the city centre. Anti-riot vehicles were deployed on Delhi streets during the march (The Statesman). Police used batons (long sticks) and teargas against protesters trying to move toward the parliament building.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained during the protest march (DW). The day also brought a diplomatic opening: after the large turnout, the Modi government invited several CJP spokespeople for talks, and the party announced that two of its leaders would meet a senior federal minister (Reuters). On the same day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (PTI).

The core grievance centers on the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test — Undergraduate), India's medical entrance exam. Over 2 million students take it each year, competing for about 130,000 places. The exam paper was leaked to the highest bidder, forcing authorities to scrap and retake the test (Frontline). The fiasco has been linked to more than 20 student suicides. Pradhan had previously dismissed CJP supporters by calling them "terrorists."

Rhythm Katoch, a 22-year-old protester, said she was fighting for the education system, youth rights, and democracy. Harion Sharma, 18, was among those forced to retake the medical entrance exam after it was leaked. Opposition Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi condemned the police use of force against protesters outside parliament. Activist Yogendra Yadav publicly commented that the CJP's march to Parliament would push policies (PTI).

The July 20 march was the culmination of weeks of escalating mobilization. The CJP held its first press conference on June 3, 2026, announcing a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar (a traditional protest site) on June 6 to demand Pradhan's resignation, with Saurav Das identified as a party spokesperson (Indian Express). Dipke returned to India on June 6 to launch the protest (Indian Express). The protest continued into a second day despite police denying permission, and Dipke then traveled to Mumbai to broaden the campaign (Indian Express).

Sonam Wangchuk, the engineer and educator whose advocacy inspired the Bollywood film "3 Idiots," had been on an extended hunger strike as part of the CJP protests in Delhi. By July 18, the hunger strike had reached its 21st day (The Hindu). On July 18, Delhi police forcibly removed Wangchuk from his hunger strike location (New York Times; BBC). The following day, July 19, Wangchuk refused medical treatment despite counselling (The Hindu). Wangchuk had previously stated he would formally join the CJP movement if Pradhan did not resign (Indian Express). On July 18, Dipke addressed protesters at Jantar Mantar during the hunger strike.

The broader context here is that going from an online joke to mass street protests in under three months shows how fast youth-led movements can grow in India's current political environment. The CJP drew thousands of people despite every tool the state used to stop them, including internet shutdowns, barricades, and baton charges. That has prompted the government to respond on two tracks at once: cracking down with force and offering ministerial-level talks. The fact that both happened on the same day suggests the Modi government is trying to figure out whether this movement can be absorbed through dialogue or whether it becomes a lasting opposition force before the next elections.

The human toll of the exam scandal, particularly the reported student suicides, gives the CJP's demands an emotional weight that goes beyond ordinary student politics. Pradhan has not retracted his earlier description of CJP supporters as "terrorists," and that label now sits uneasily next to the government's decision to sit down with those same supporters for talks. Whether those talks produce real concessions or stall will likely determine whether the CJP becomes a structured political party or stays a protest movement.