Protesters scuffle with police as supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party demonstrate on the opening day of the Indian Parliament's monsoon session, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks, in New Delhi on Monday. | REUTERS
BLOOMBERG
Jul 21, 2026
Indian protesters have vowed to press on after police moved to block thousands of demonstrators from marching on Parliament, adding pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Students packed roads in central New Delhi on Monday in the city’s largest demonstrations since the farmer protests in 2021, demanding accountability over exam paper leaks and broader failures in the education system. Television footage and social media posts showed police using tear gas and batons against protesters.
By Tuesday morning, streets around the Parliament remained heavily blockaded by police as lawmakers prepared to return for the second day of the session. The student protesters, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, have since retreated to a designated demonstration site about 2 kilometers away from the Parliament, where they’ve been gathering for several weeks already.
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