Thousands of young protesters demanding the resignation of India’s education minister briefly clashed with police in New Delhi on Wednesday night, as officers used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, according to police and witnesses.
Local media estimated that more than 10,000 people gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central New Delhi. Leaders of the “cockroach” movement vowed to continue their month-long campaign until the minister steps down over examination paper leaks that reportedly affected around two million students in May.
The demonstrations have emerged as the largest youth-led challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he took office in 2014, with opposition parties backing the protesters’ demands and disrupting the monsoon session of parliament, which began this week.
On Monday, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched towards parliament despite restrictions on public gatherings. Police and paramilitary personnel responded by firing tear gas and using batons to push back the crowds.
Fresh protests resumed on Wednesday, with thousands assembling at Jantar Mantar, chanting slogans and waving the Indian flag, while other groups demonstrated outside parliament.
By evening, the crowd had grown to more than 10,000, spilling onto nearby roads before violence broke out, according to local media reports.
Police said some protesters threw stones and plastic bottles at officers, injuring several personnel who were taken to hospital for treatment, news agency ANI reported.
Videos shared on X, including footage posted by local journalists, appeared to show small groups of protesters clashing with police as officers used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.