Narendra Modi has announced plans to set up “fast track courts” to expedite the punishment of officials who leak exam papers, in a bid to quell the youth-led “cockroach” protest movement that has rocked Delhi. The prime minister took to X to declare, “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth … Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared.”

The offer of faster justice - a novelty in India’s famously sluggish judicial system, where verdicts can take decades - was swiftly rejected by the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), the satirical name adopted after India’s top judge called unemployed youths “cockroaches.” The CJP’s core demand remains the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with broader education reform.

An estimated 50,000 protesters gathered in Delhi on Monday, despite police denying permission to march on parliament and resorting to baton charges and teargas. By Wednesday, over 1,000 protesters remained camped at the CJP’s site in central Delhi, enduring brutal heat and humidity. Many had traveled miles to be there.

Modi’s statement follows signs of a government softening: ministers have expressed willingness to talk to the CJP, but stubbornly refuse to mention Pradhan’s resignation. The protest site at Jantar Mantar is overflowing, with supporters spilling onto roads, sorting donations, fanning the wilting, and even feeding police on duty.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi escalated rhetoric at a press conference, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and a Modi apology for failing to provide a fair education system. Gandhi noted 152 exam paper leaks over the past decade with zero convictions. “Somebody, or a group of people, are destroying our education system, India’s most valuable asset, destroying the lives of our students. What does the government do? Zero convictions,” he said.

The movement appears to be hardening after Monday’s police crackdown. CJP leaders were disappointed when a meeting with Health Minister J. P. Nadda - the first in over 60 days - yielded nothing. Founder Abhijeet Dipke declared they will not go to the government; if ministers want to talk, they must come to the protest site and speak publicly.