NEW DELHI - Police in India have denied permission for a march on Parliament by supporters of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement on July 20, risking a standoff as calls grow for the sacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education minister over exam paper leaks.

The movement has been galvanised since police forcibly moved hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital on July 18, with hundreds of supporters gathering at a protest site ahead of a planned march on the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session.

While the movement initially drew support largely online - amassing 22 million followers on Instagram within days of its formation in May after exam paper leaks affected millions - it has since broadened its appeal, presenting a major challenge for Modi.

The 59-year-old Wangchuk said in a message posted by his wife on X on July 19 that the planned march would be “India’s 2nd FREEDOM MOVEMENT” and would be for “freedom from injustice (like paper leaks)” and “freedom from fear (my illegal detention)”.

But police said orders are in force in the New Delhi district prohibiting assemblies of five or more persons, except at a designated site - the Jantar Mantar observatory - where protesters have already been camping for more than three weeks.