Youth protesters demanding the resignation of India's education minister briefly clashed with police in New Delhi late Wednesday, with officers using tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators, according to police and witnesses.
More than 10,000 people gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi, local media reported, as leaders of the self-styled Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) vowed to continue their month-long movement until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down over alleged exam paper leaks that affected around two million students in May, reports Reuters.
The demonstrations have become the biggest youth-led challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government since he came to power in 2014. Opposition parties have backed the protesters' demands and disrupted the monsoon session of parliament, which began this week.
On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters marched towards parliament despite restrictions, prompting police and paramilitary personnel to use tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.
On Tuesday, thousands of protesters again gathered at Jantar Mantar, chanting slogans and waving Indian flags, while others demonstrated outside parliament.
By evening, the crowd had grown to more than 10,000 and spilled onto surrounding roads before clashes broke out, local media reported.
According to Delhi Police, some protesters threw stones and plastic bottles at officers, injuring several police personnel, who were taken to hospital, ANI reported.
Videos shared on X by protesters and local journalists appeared to show police using batons and firing tear gas during the confrontation. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.
The CJP began as an online satirical campaign involving only a few hundred young people before evolving into a nationwide protest movement.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the demonstrations would continue until Pradhan resigns.
"It has been 25 days so far. Even if it takes 25 months, that is acceptable, but we will not move from here," Dipke told protesters on Tuesday night.
Delhi Metro closes stations
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said it had closed 16 stations in and around central Delhi on Wednesday until further notice, marking the second large-scale closure this week over security concerns.
Amid growing pressure, the Modi government has held one round of talks with CJP leaders and assured them that their demands would be considered. It has also proposed a parliamentary debate on the issue and promised reforms to the examination system.
Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have joined the protests. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led demonstrations outside Modi's residence and parliament.
Gandhi said Pradhan's resignation was "non-negotiable" and that opposition leaders would meet on Wednesday to decide their next course of action in parliament.
The CJP's rapid rise reflects growing frustration among young Indians over unemployment and recurring exam paper leaks, which protesters say have become increasingly common.
The movement has also given opposition parties a rare opportunity to challenge Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has traditionally enjoyed strong support among young voters and has continued to perform well in state elections despite losing its outright parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election.