(Adnkronos) – Indian police used tear gas and batons to prevent thousands of supporters of the anti-government “cockroach” movement from marching towards the parliament in New Delhi, according to Ndtv and other Indian media, which report several people slightly injured on both sides. The demonstrations were mainly led by young people from the movement that calls itself the Cockroach (“scarafaggio”) Janta Party (Cjp). According to a Cjp spokesperson and Indian media, the party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was arrested, while police forces, who blocked access to parliament, did not immediately confirm the arrest, while stating that they had not granted permission for the protest march.
Observers believe that the movement, founded only two months ago, is turning into a significant challenge for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp), which is parodied by the Cjp. Indian media quoted a Cjp spokesperson as saying that the government was trying to open a dialogue and the movement would be willing to discuss. “They arrived very late, but we opened our hearts and said we are willing to talk to them,” he stated.
The Cjp, which defines itself as a “satirical political movement,” was founded after a Supreme Court judge called unemployed youth “cockroaches.” Within a few days, the movement gained more than 21 million followers on Instagram. Its participants are demanding both education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is considered politically responsible for a scandal related to the leak of university entrance exam questions.
