India’s youth-led Cockroach movement demands detained protesters be released

India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement, whose nationwide protests forced the resignation of the education minister, has accused the government of backtracking on its promise not to act against student protesters and has threatened to restart demonstrations. The Cockroach Janta party (CJP), which organised mass protests.

Police cases were filed against students in Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, all states ruled by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). The CJP had agreed to call off the demonstrations on Saturday after the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned and senior BJP.

What Happened

But on Monday, the CJP accused the Modi government of reneging on the agreement. At least 100 people have been arrested, many on stringent, non-bailable charges, according to the CJP.

• On Monday, it introduced a measure in parliament seeking tougher penalties for examination paper leaks.

• The government has promised to act on the issues that sparked the protests, and announced a panel to oversee an overhaul of India’s examination system.

• The issue also reverberated in parliament on Monday, as opposition lawmakers demanded a response from the government over last week’s police crackdown.

Key Details

A police officer was suspended in Bihar for using an assault rifle to disperse student protesters on Saturday. In West Bengal, where the BJP recently took power, the hardline chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, inferred that all the protesters last week were Muslims.

• The chief justice of India called for an independent investigation after a petition was filed in the supreme court alleging police brutality at the Delhi protest, stating that the “right to peaceful, lawful protest.

• Pradhan’s resignation was the first time a senior minister in the Modi government had been forced out by public pressure.

• The protests were an unprecedented show of dissent against the Modi government, which has cracked down on critics and opposition over its 12 years in power.

Why It Matters

Cases have been now filed against many participants under a draconian new state law. The CJP has set up a legal fund to help cover the expenses of protesters implicated in criminal cases by the police, said Saurav Das, another spokespersonfor the.

• Police fired teargas and used batons to disperse them, causing clashes and a wave of detentions.

• Demonstrations in the Indian capital turned violent on 20 July when huge crowds attempted to march toparliament from the Jantar Mantar protest site.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by The Guardian as more details emerge