Founder of India's Cockroach Janata Party Abhijit arrested

India's youth-led 'Cockroach Movement' claimed on Monday (July 20) that its founder, Abhijit Deepak, has been detained by police. Meanwhile, amid ongoing protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, two leaders of the organisation held a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda.

After the meeting, the movement's chief spokesperson Saurabh Das said they had submitted a written memorandum to the minister. "We have given a letter and Nadda has assured us that he will discuss the matter internally. That process is currently underway," he said.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thousands of supporters attempted to march towards Parliament on Monday, creating tense situations in the capital Delhi.

When members of the 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP) and their supporters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to begin the 'March to Parliament' programme, tension escalated. As the number of protesters swelled, clashes broke out with Delhi Police.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Police had not granted permission for the programme and had banned large gatherings in the area. In the interest of security, five Delhi Metro stations — Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Bhavan — were closed until further notice, causing inconvenience and chaos for passengers at various metro stations across the capital.

Long queues and crowds of passengers were seen in front of the closed gates at Rajiv Chowk, one of Delhi's busiest interchange stations.

Tension had escalated earlier on Saturday when academician and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for 21 days as part of the CJP-backed movement, was forcibly taken to hospital. However, he continued his fast at the hospital as well.

The 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP), founded by Abhijit Deepak, started as an online satirical movement in May this year to protest question paper leaks and irregularities in various examinations. It quickly gained widespread popularity. Activists identify themselves as 'Cockroaches'.

For the past month, they have been holding a sit-in at Delhi's historic Jantar Mantar. Members of several student organisations have also joined them. As part of the movement, Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike, losing over 9 kilogrammes and becoming physically weak.

Despite his physical condition, Wangchuk had announced he would participate in the march towards Parliament. He joked to his supporters, saying that if necessary, even after his death, his spirit would remain with the movement. He issued a handwritten message from Safdarjung Hospital, claiming he was illegally detained, and called on supporters to make the protest march towards Parliament a success. In this situation, his wife, Geetanjali J Angmo, has pledged to lead the movement.