Modi vows 'stringent punishment' for exam fraud fuelling India's youth-led 'Cockroach' protests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to punish those involved in a leaked exam papers scandal that has sparked mass student protests. His promise came a day after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, demonstrated in New Delhi, sparking fresh clashes with police. The snowballing protests have become one of the biggest challenges to Modi since his re-election for a third term in office in 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to punish those involved in a leaked exam papers scandal that has sparked mass student protests.

His promise came a day after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, demonstrated in New Delhi, sparking fresh clashes with police. The snowballing protests have become one of the biggest challenges to Modi since his re-election for a third term in office in 2024. By: FRANCE 24 Protesters at a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in Mumbai, India, on July 22, 2026. © Rafiq Maqbool, AP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday "stringent punishment" for those involved in exam fraud that has fuelled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. The comments came after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, rallied in New Delhi on Wednesday, triggering fresh clashes with the police.

fast-track courts to punish those involved in question paper leaks. "Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared, he added. The protesters, mostly young students, have been demanding the resignation of the education minister over exam paper leaks since last month.

Protests snowballed on Monday after police fired tear gas and baton-charged tens of thousands of demonstrators as they tried to march to parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. As tensions escalated, protesters responded by hurling stones, marking the largest street rally in the capital in about five years. At least 178 people, including security personnel, were injured in the violence, according to the police.

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© FRANCE 24 02:46 The CJP, which has millions of followers on social media, emerged in May initially as a satirical response to Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly likening young people to "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing. The movement has since broadened its agenda to include concerns over unemployment, opportunities for young people and what it describes as Modi's increasingly authoritarian style of governance.