Protesters are gathering across India on Friday as the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party has called for demonstrations in every district, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET exam paper leak scandal.
The Indian government has deployed twenty companies of central reserve police to the capital, and Delhi Metro has shut at least sixteen stations as crowds swell near the main protest site at Jantar Mantar.
The movement has rejected the government's offer of talks, saying its core demand for the minister's removal has not been addressed.
Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi.
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Ishan Garg in New Delhi says the movement faces a critical test of momentum, after one of its key figures broke ranks and ended a hunger strike following talks with government ministers.
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Reporter Ishan Garg in New Delhi says that while a compromise venue for talks may be emerging, the government is widely reported to be unwilling to meet the protesters' central demand.
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