India’s Gen Z Marches on Parliament, Seeks Education Minister’s Resignation

New Delhi: Thousands of students and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) marched towards Parliament on Monday after a 22-day hunger strike, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and broader concerns about irregularities in India’s education system.

The march “Sansad Chalo” protest, coincided with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session and ended in clashes with police after authorities denied permission for the demonstration. Delhi Police used tear gas shells and batons to disperse protesters attempting to march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, while hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across central Delhi.

The protest gained momentum after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with the movement, was shifted to hospital by police on Saturday. Organisers alleged Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site, a move they said intensified public support for the agitation.

Thousands of protesters gathered overnight at Jantar Mantar, carrying the Indian tricolour and raising slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Watch here our ground report from Jantar Mantar as India’s Gen Z marches towards Parliament demanding the Education Minister’s resignation.

Three Key Demands of Gen Z protesters

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das said they had placed three demands before Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda during a meeting with the government.

“During our meeting with Health Minister J.P. Nadda, we put forward three demands. First, Sonam Wangchuk should be released immediately and, until the formalities are completed, he should at least be allowed to release a video appealing to protesters to maintain peace. That has not happened so far,” Das said.

“Our second demand is that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should either resign or be removed from the Cabinet. The protest will continue until we get his resignation,” he added.

Das said they had also demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy.

“The families of the students who died by suicide because of the paper leak should receive ₹1 crore as compensation,” he said.

Earlier in the day, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said on social media platform X that Health Minister J.P. Nadda had sought time to discuss the movement’s demands with the government.

Students Allege Police Brutality

Several student protesters accused police of using excessive force to stop the march.

Neha Bora, JNU Phd scholar and one of student hunger strikers said “Every time we have raised our voices peacefully, the Indian government has tried to bury our voices. But let me say through your platform that if they silence one voice, a thousand others will rise.”

Another protester alleged that women demonstrators were assaulted during the police action.

“The police beat our sisters and me. But if even one drop of my blood can help the youth of this country, I am ready for it. I also want to say that if Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign, I will hang myself from this tree,” Naiyar said.

Protesters alleged that several participants sustained injuries during the baton charge, although authorities did not immediately confirm any casualty figures.

Movement Expands Beyond Exam Leak

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), described by its organisers as a youth-led socio-political movement rather than a registered political party, emerged following public outrage over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and demands for accountability in India’s examination system.

Organisers say the movement also gained support after remarks attributed to the Chief Justice of India about the country’s youth, which they claim became a catalyst for widespread student mobilisation.

What began as a hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has evolved into a nationwide campaign calling for education reforms, accountability for alleged examination irregularities, and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.

According to the organisers, around 12 students died by suicide following the paper leak controversy, prompting the demand for ₹1 crore compensation for each affected family. These figures have not been independently verified by authorities.

Monday’s “Sansad Chalo” march marked the largest mobilisation by the movement so far, bringing thousands of students to the national capital and placing the ongoing education protest at the centre of India’s political debate as Parliament’s Monsoon Session commenced.