India’s youth-led “Cockroach” movement, whose nationwide protests prompted the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has called on the authorities to release all detained demonstrators.
The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests over examination paper leaks and other alleged irregularities, said on Monday that it had received reports of students being held in detention, particularly in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.
The group accused the government of reneging on assurances that no punitive action would be taken against protesters.
“If the government does not honour the agreement and release everyone detained or arrested, we will be compelled to resume the protest,” CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told reporters.
The Indian government has not issued an official statement on the matter.
The demand comes two days after Pradhan resigned as education minister following repeated failures in the conduct of competitive examinations, which have fuelled widespread anger among millions of young Indians.
According to the CJP, at least 100 people have been arrested across the country, many of them facing non-bailable charges.
Another CJP spokesperson, Saurav Das, said the movement had established a legal fund to help cover the costs of defending protesters facing criminal charges.
The movement has attracted millions of followers on social media since it was launched in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators, most of them students, took part in rallies in New Delhi and other cities last week, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and wider reforms to India’s examination system.
