Thousands march on Indian parliament in growing 'Cockroach' education protest

Thousands of students, parents, activists and political leaders gathered in Delhi on Monday for a march on the Indian parliament called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding sweeping reforms to the country's education system, according to the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l58lw089no The protest at the Jantar Mantar venue drew several hundred police and paramilitary personnel, with all roads to the site sealed and security stepped up across the capital; Delhi Police said the march had not been authorised, but a CJP spokesperson told the BBC the protesters would proceed regardless. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l58lw089no The movement grew out of anger over exam paper leaks and irregularities, the BBC reports. The CJP says it wants Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign, and founder Abhijeet Dipke has also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down after activist Sonam Wangchuk was hospitalised during a hunger strike in support of the cause. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l58lw089no Wangchuk, who the BBC says had lost more than 9kg on a salt-and-water fast, was forcibly taken to hospital on Saturday on day 21 of his protest; he has vowed to end the fast only if the government accepts accountability for failures in the education system or if lawmakers take up the issue in parliament. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l58lw089no Demonstrations have spread beyond Delhi, with large rallies in Mumbai on Sunday and planned actions in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, according to the BBC, signalling the rapid growth of a movement that began in May as an online satirical campaign against cancelled and leaked exams. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l58lw089no *Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Report corrections to corrections@sourcereporters.com.*