India youth protest leaders to hold talks with government,protests will continue

Leaders of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement will meet the government on Friday to try and resolve a face-off over national examination paper leaks although they will not halt nationwide protests, a spokesperson for the group said.



The decision was announced hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike overnight, raising hopes that the two sides could be moving toward a breakthrough in the crisis in which tens of thousands of angry youth have converged on the capital Delhi to demand the resignation of the education minister over the scandal.



The protests represent the biggest youth challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014. Opposition parties have echoed the movement's demands and have disrupted the monsoon session of parliament that began this week.



Talks between government ministers and leaders of the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) would be held at a neutral venue, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das told reporters overnight.



The nationwide protests would, however, continue, Das added.