Photo :webshot. 

July 22, 2026

Anna Murray 

On July 20, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of New Delhi, India. At the center of the capital, student protesters have refused to clear the Jantar Mantar demonstration site, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protests are being driven by students alongside the Cockroach Janta Party (Cockroach People's Party, CJP)—a social media–driven movement that has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The CJP’s main focus is opposing India's educational system, particularly surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the nationwide entrance exam for medical colleges. Nearly 2.28 million candidates sat for the exam on May 3, but it was canceled days later following allegations of paper leaks.

Political tensions escalated on July 21 when opposition leader and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, along with several other key opposition figures, was briefly detained during a sit-in outside Prime Minister Modi's residence. Accusing the government of turning a blind eye to students' demands, Gandhi addressed Parliament on July 22 to demand direct accountability.