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India protest leaders say govt seeks more time on minister resignation demand
What began as an online satire involving a few hundred young people has grown into a movement backed by millions of online followers, catching the government by surprise
- PUBLISHED: Fri 24 Jul 2026, 8:27 AM
Leaders of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement said the government has asked for time until Saturday afternoon to respond to their demand for the education minister's resignation, after talks with two ministers on Friday.
The talks came hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike, raising hopes that the two sides could reach a breakthrough after tens of thousands of angry youths converged in the capital, Delhi, to demand the minister's resignation over exam paper leaks.
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The protests represent the biggest youth challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014. Opposition parties have echoed the movement's demands and have disrupted the monsoon session of parliament that began this week.
Talks between government ministers and leaders of the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were held at a neutral venue, said CJP spokesperson Saurav Das.
"We hope that the government comes with an open mind and listens to the people of this country who have been out on the roads for so long," he said before the talks. "We will explain our demands to them in greater detail. And we hope that the government will listen to us."
The nationwide protests would, however, continue, Das added.
"We are not backing out," he said. "Because real awakening starts from the grassroots, and that is what we really need."
Delhi metro shuts stations again
The protests by the CJP began as an online satire and involved only a few hundred young people when they were first launched. But it has grown with the support of millions of online followers, taking the government by surprise.
Tens of thousands of supporters of the movement marched on parliament in violation of a ban on Monday and clashed with police when they pushed them back with tear gas and beat them with canes.
Violence was reported again on Wednesday night when more than 10,000 protesters gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi.
The movement's surge in popularity reflects frustrations among young Indians over issues such as job shortages, as well as frequent exam leaks, analysts say, and warn that the government should effectively address the crisis.
On Thursday, authorities shut down 16 metro stations and mobile internet services and curtailed business in central Delhi, where the protesters have been camped – seen as an attempt to curb the demonstrations – inconveniencing thousands of people.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corp. said it was shutting down 17 stations again from early on Friday morning until further instructions, the third time this week it has resorted to such a large-scale closure of the system, which is the lifeline of the capital.
The federal cabinet will meet on Friday and discuss a draft to amend laws to punish culprits behind exam paper leaks and get it approved by parliament at the earliest, Modi said late on Thursday.
But the protesters have rejected the proposal, saying the examination system should be fixed to prevent leaks in the first place.
Activist Wangchuk is also expected to explain details of his talks with two government ministers in whose presence he broke his fast through a video likely on Friday.