NEW DELHI — Authorities in India moved a well-known activist to a hospital in New Delhi on Saturday after his condition worsened following 20 days without food, as part of an ongoing protest tied to the country’s rapidly growing Cockroach Janta Party education reform movement.
Security forces increased their presence at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest area in New Delhi surrounded by police barricades, where activist Sonam Wangchuk had been camped alongside students and Cockroach Party supporters. The group is calling for the resignation of the education minister following allegations that exam questions were leaked ahead of testing.
Wangchuk, a 59-year-old engineer and education reform advocate, has become a central figure for the movement. The Cockroach Janta Party itself emerged in May after the Chief Justice of India’s Supreme Court, Surya Kant, compared certain unemployed young people to “cockroaches” during an unrelated court hearing. Rather than take offense, supporters adopted the term as a symbol of toughness, transforming it into a satirical political campaign that attracted more than 21 million Instagram followers within just a few days.
Among the movement’s key demands are the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged exam leaks, a complete overhaul of the national examination system, and financial compensation for the families of students who died by suicide in connection with the leaked exams or test results.
Delhi Police confirmed that Wangchuk was taken to the hospital due to his deteriorating health, stating the transfer followed both medical guidance and a court order. Officers noted that a brief disturbance broke out when some protesters attempted to prevent the move.
The Cockroach Party pushed back on that account, posting on social media that the government had “forcefully abducted” Wangchuk “without his or his family’s consent.”
In response to the growing tension, authorities deployed additional police officers and paramilitary personnel and placed barricades around the Jantar Mantar protest site. Police described the increased security as a precautionary measure and asked demonstrators to work cooperatively with officials.
