Opinion: Why is Modi afraid of ‘Cockroaches’?

Winter is coming, and as we speak of the political atmosphere in Delhi, the capital of India feels much like Srinagar today.

Thousands of protesters were reportedly detained, with a lockdown-like situation witnessed across parts of Delhi. Commuters faced disruptions due to road barricades and metro station closures, while a temporary mobile internet shutdown was also imposed in parts of the city.

The Modi sarkar is dealing with the “Cockroaches” who are back on the streets of the capital, now demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged irregularities in voter lists.

Last time, the Cockroach Janta Party led a demonstration at the famous “Jantar Mantar” that ultimately led to the resignation of then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid paper-leak controversies and demands for accountability following student suicides.

The protest went viral and became a social media sensation following the Gen-Z protest wave in South Asia, which had earlier been witnessed in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Such is the Jantar Mantar effect that the Prime Minister of India himself had to make a TikTok-style video to cool down the wave.

But this time, Narendra Modi does not seem to tolerate protesting Cockroaches anymore, as they faced a crackdown and are now being restricted from gathering at Jantar Mantar. The reason: They got on his nerves too much.

Since 2014, when the BJP came to power, ending the decade-long rule of the Indian National Congress, the party has galvanised its vote bank around communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

Its electoral politics primarily focuses on the Hindutva ideology, which aims to alter India's oddly secular constitutional framework and steer the country towards Hindu majoritarian rule. Much to the approval of its voters, BJP propaganda has also captured a monopoly over the media narrative, with mainstream talk shows and Bollywood movies contributing to the hate economy.

But thanks to social media, YouTubers like Dhruv Rathee and Akash Banerjee, through their socio-political commentary, kept asking relevant questions and engaged millions of viewers to counter BJP propaganda.

The first shocker for the BJP came in the 2024 elections, not from the INC, Arvind Kejriwal or Mamata Banerjee. The opposition, in fact, stood little chance against the Modi wave. It was the campaign run by YouTubers that many believe contributed to the election results and influenced public opinion. The BJP, which had expected a two-thirds majority under the slogan “Ab ki baar, 400 paar”, had to form a coalition government to rule.

The Cockroach Arrives

Soon entered the scene: Abhijeet Dipke! His emergence in Indian politics is almost like a Bollywood-style plot in a political thriller.

Belonging to a Dalit background, this 30-year-old social media activist and communication strategist had been working with the Aam Aadmi Party but was also waiting for his turn.

Earlier this year, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant famously compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches”, and what started as a satirical movement became a major challenge for the hate-mongering propaganda machine.

Back to Delhi, the Cockroaches are out on the streets of the capital again with a far bigger agenda, as the CJP and the Opposition alliance accused the BJP of meddling with elections amid a fresh voter-list controversy involving the CEC himself.

It was alleged that the Election Commission had removed tens of thousands of eligible voters from electoral rolls nationwide to favour the ruling party. This raises serious concerns, as India has dubbed itself “the world's largest democracy."

‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ is here before we could get the release of Dhurandhar 3 which would definitely be served as a election campaign for the BJP in the next general polls in India.

As a Pakistani, I am sure many of my countrymen are also once again ready to witness the show, and we also hope we get new meme trends to inspire us. Perhaps some other day, we will be part of our own show in the political theatre of the country to address transparency and accountability in our system.

As we watch the nightmare for Modi unfold, we also hope the CJP does not meet the same fate as the movements started by Kejriwal and Anna Hazare. The question remains whether the CJP can sustain its momentum or eventually lose its political influence before next election.