Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- India’s Cockroach Janta Party movement has urged supporters to march to the Indian Parliament peacefully
- Protesters and police clash as protesters are trying to make their way to parliament
- Outside of the protest site, police has prohibited protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more people
- The protest, led by young Indians, is calling for the resignation of India’s education minister over exam paper leaks
Here are the latest developments from India on Monday, June 20:
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Skip next section CJP leader Wangchuk will continue his hunger strike, DW correspondent reports07/20/2026July 20, 2026
CJP leader Wangchuk will continue his hunger strike, DW correspondent reports
Shalu Yadav New Delhi
Prominent Indian activist and CJP leader Sonam Wangchuk has vowed to continue his hunger strike, now in its third week, despite attempts from police to clear his protest site at Jantar Mantar.
His wife remained defiantly at the protest site, DW’s Shalu Yadav reported. The area has been packed with thousands of supporters since Saturday, and the CJP has urged people to continue coming in large numbers.
Wangchuk himself remains in a nearby hospital, where he says he has been illegaly detained by police.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5HRXiSkip next section IN PICTURES: Cockroach Janta Party march07/20/2026July 20, 2026
IN PICTURES: Cockroach Janta Party march
https://p.dw.com/p/5HRHySkip next section ‘Cockroach’ delegation formally hands in list of demands to health minister 07/20/2026July 20, 2026
‘Cockroach’ delegation formally hands in list of demands to health minister
Cockroach Janta Party Spokesperson Saurav Das said on Monday that he has been at Health Minister J P Nadda’s office since noon, when the government first opened talks with the protest movement that is demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
“The demands have been conveyed, including immediate resignation/sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan,” Das wrote on X.
He said that Nadda assured the CJP representatives that he would hold discussions at the appropriate level.
“However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met!” Das said.
Das claimed that the minister also gave assurances that “no further crackdown will happen at Jantar Mantar” and around the protest site. The CJP spokesperson alleged that there were “no reports yet of the police stopping.”
Nadda said in a statement on X that a proposal came from the protesters on Monday morning to hold talks.
“The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM,” the federal health minister, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said.
“I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” Nadda added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQqOSkip next section Eyes are ‘burning,’ protesters tell DW after tear gas fired during Delhi protest07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Eyes are ‘burning,’ protesters tell DW after tear gas fired during Delhi protest
DW spoke to young protesters as thousands of demonstrators who have taken to the streets of the Indian capital were met with baton charge and tear gas on Monday.
“We were only going to ask for our rights. They are dispersing tear gas. We can’t breathe, our eyes are red. We are taking paper from the toilets to clean our eyes,” a protester told DW’s Adil Bhat.
Protesters were seen wearing scarves, covering their mouths and noses.
“About a minute back, they threw tear gas at us. I threw the canister back. Imagine how people without a respiratory mask would be faring right now. My eyes are burning. They are using tear gas on youngsters,” another protester, who had traveled from the western Indian city of Pune, told Bhat before he proceeded to rinse his eyes using bottled water.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQYmSkip next section Dipke ‘not in detention or arrest,’ says CJP after reporting he’d been ‘picked up’07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Dipke ‘not in detention or arrest,’ says CJP after reporting he’d been ‘picked up’
After earlier saying that Cockroach Janta Party’s founder Abhijeet Dipke had been “picked up” by the police, the movement’s chief spokesperson said that Dipke was “not in detention or arrest.”
The CJP did not immediately give any further details.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQUhSkip next section India’s Education Minister meets Home Minister Amit Shah — reports07/20/2026July 20, 2026
India’s Education Minister meets Home Minister Amit Shah — reports
India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, as thousands of youth demonstrators in New Delhi tried to breach security cordons in a protest march seeking Pradhan’s resignation, Indian media reports said.
The agenda of the reported meeting was not immediately clear.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQPISkip next section Cockroach party says founder Abhijeet Dipke detained amid massive protest march07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Cockroach party says founder Abhijeet Dipke detained amid massive protest march
Cockroach Janta Party’s founder Abhijeet Dipke has been “picked up” by the police, the movement’s chief spokesperson Saurav Das said on X on Monday afternoon.
Das also alleged the police was “brutally” cracking down on the protesters.
The reported detention comes as Das and another spokesman held talks with the country’s health minister earlier in the day.
“While we submit a written letter…he (Health Minister Nadda) has assured us that he will meanwhile speak internally. We are in that process,” Das said on X, saying that the meeting lasted “10 minutes.”
There has yet to be an official confirmation of Dipke’s detention.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5HQDVSkip next section Delhi youth protest: What is happening on the ground?07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Delhi youth protest: What is happening on the ground?
A police official has told DW’s Shalu Yadav that over 100,000 people have descended on the streets of the Indian capital for the protest.
“The protest is not showing any signs of abating,” Yadav reports, adding that people are angry and trying to break the barricades.
Yadav also reports that some people have been injured in the ensuing chaos.
Indian media reports say that some protesters and police personnel have been injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQBaSkip next section Police use tear gas to disperse protesters, say reports07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Police use tear gas to disperse protesters, say reports
Police fired tear gas after protesters tried to breach security barricades to march on to the parliament in New Delhi, media reports said on Monday afternoon.
“Stop using tear gas on the youth in front of the Parliament. Choose the path of dialogue instead of repression.,” the Cockroach Janta Party said on X, sharing a video purportedly showing tear gas fired at the protesters.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HQ2sSkip next section Opposition demands parliament discussion on medical exam leaks, criticize use of force on protesters07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Opposition demands parliament discussion on medical exam leaks, criticize use of force on protesters
Both houses of the Indian parliament were adjourned until 2 p.m. local time as lawmakers face a challenging first day back at work for the monsoon session.
Hundreds of youth protesters are trying to reach the parliament, demanding that India’s education minister steps down.
Leaders from opposition parties have also shown solidarity with the movement kickstarted by the viral Cockroach Janta Party.
On Monday, the Samajwadi Party (SP) protested in the parliament complex to demand a discussion on the medical exam paper leaks that sparked the youth outcry. Some of the party’s MPs were seen holding banners with “paper leak” written on them.
Speaking to the media, party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party government of ignoring the students’ issues.
After visuals showed security forces baton-charging protesters, Yadav described the action as “disheartening”.
Speaking to the media, he called on youth members of the SP wanting to go to the Jantar Mantar protest site to carry the party’s message to demonstrators that “we stand with you”.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also criticized police action.
“When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi (baton) charge?” he said while talking to Indian news agencies.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPyvSkip next section CJP says in talks with government amid protest 07/20/2026July 20, 2026
CJP says in talks with government amid protest
The Modi government has reached out for talks with the Cockroach Janta Party, the protest movement’s chief spokesperson Saurav Das said on X.
Das said that he and Ashutosh Ranka, another spokesperson, were on their way to meet federal Health Minister JP Nadda.
“The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers,” Das said speaking of the youth protest that has gripped the capital.
There was no immediate statement from the government on the talks.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPetSkip next section Lok Sabha adjourned until noon 07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Lok Sabha adjourned until noon
While riot police baton-charged protesters marching to parliament, opposition lawmakers inside the legislative body’s lower house demanded a discussion on the medical entrance exam leaks.
As opposition MPs raised slogans, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until noon shortly after it commenced proceedings on Monday, marking the first day of the parliament’s monsoon session.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPaySkip next section IN PICTURES — Youth protest in heart of New Delhi faces massive security07/20/2026July 20, 2026
IN PICTURES — Youth protest in heart of New Delhi faces massive security
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPa7Skip next section Protesters clash with police as they try to reach parliament07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Protesters clash with police as they try to reach parliament
Police used sticks and batons to disperse the hundred of youth protesters attempting to march to the parliament from Jantar Mantar on Monday, reports said.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed security personnel in riot gear facing off with crowds of protesters, some of whom were carrying the Indian national flag.
Several people can be seen being hit by the police and deterred from pushing through the heavy security deployment.
There was no immediate statement from India’s security forces.
DW’s Shalu Yadav reported that as police personnel tried closing in on the protesters, the huge crowds pushed them back from the opposite side.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPYkSkip next section Hunger strike continues, activist Sonam Wangchuk says from hospital07/20/2026July 20, 2026
Hunger strike continues, activist Sonam Wangchuk says from hospital
The month-long Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration at Jantar Mantar drew wider focus after Indian climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who started a hunger strike in support of the protest on June 28, was forcibly removed by the police on Saturday and taken to a hospital.
For 21 days, 59-year-old Wangchuk’s resolve gripped the nation as he appeared visibly weaker with the passing days, lying down on the stage at Jantar Mantar surrounded by young protesters.
Modi remained silent on the hunger strike, inviting criticism as several opposition leaders expressed solidarity with Wangchuk.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke began his own hunger protest after Wangchuk was taken away, and called for the prime minister’s resignation.
On Saturday, police forces climbed onto the stage and blocked the view to Wangchuk with white bedsheets as they whisked him away.
Police said they were acting on court orders and expert medical advice.
Thousands of supporters arrived at Jantar Mantar over the weekend in the aftermath of Wangchuk’s removal from the protest site.
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On Monday, Wangchuk said that he would end his fast if the government takes accountability for the education system’s failures or if the CJP march is allowed to reach the parliament and lawmakers give assurances that the issue will be taken up in the house.
“Notwithstanding my health, my fast continues till (sic) after the Sansad Chalo March, and will be broken only under the following circumstances,” the activist wrote on X, sharing a handwritten note listing his demands from the hospital.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HPTlShow more posts
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