Police fired tear gas and used baton charges against supporters of the youth-led Cockroach movement as more than 10,000 protesters marched towards India's parliament in New Delhi. It was the largest protest yet demanding the resignation of the education minister and a crackdown on corruption in the exam system.

The protesters ironically call themselves the Cockroach Janta Party, mocking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party. The movement emerged in May and has rapidly gained momentum.

Protesters chanted slogans calling for Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. The government offered a minor concession by inviting two activists for talks with a senior minister, but movement founder Abhijeet Dipke was reportedly detained.

Thousands gathered overnight at Jantar Mantar park and began marching in the morning. Police sealed exits of nearby metro stations but protesters walked from further away. Authorities claimed the protest site was overcrowded.

The protest movement arose amid intense criticism over alleged corruption and mismanagement in the education system. About 2.2 million aspiring doctors had to retake India's medical entrance exam after the original test was annulled due to a leak. More than a dozen students reportedly died by suicide.

Source: www.aljazeera.com