Police block thousands of 'cockroach' protesters marching on India's parliament

Thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led protest movement, took to the streets of Delhi, defying a police ban to march to parliament and demand the resignation of India's education minister.police blocked the march with barricades, sparking scuffles as protesters tried to push through. Several demonstrators said they had been injured in baton-charges. The police did not comment.The march followed weeks of protests over alleged exam paper leaks, which supporters say reflect a wider education system crisis.The movement has since broadened into one of the most visible expressions of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in recent years.Getty ImagesClashes were reported between the police and protesters in some placesIt gathered fresh momentum over the weekend after police forcibly moved activist Sonam Wangchuk into hospital on the 21st day of his hunger strike in support of the movement. His wife says fast continues. On Monday, Wangchuk appealed to doctors to discharge him so he could join the march but was not allowed.The movement takes its name from a remark by India's chief justice, who drew criticism after comparing sections of unemployed young people to "cockroaches" during a court hearing. Although police had made clear protesters would not be given permission to march to parliament, tens of thousands of students, parents, teachers and professionals gathered from early morning at Jantar Mantar, a 300-year-old observatory in central Delhi, and remained there despite heavy rain.