(Adnkronos) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to establish “fast-track courts” to ensure “swift and severe punishment” for officials accused of leaking student exam papers, a move aimed at quelling the “cockroach” youth protest movement shaking the Indian capital. “Nothing is more important than the well-being and future of our youth,” Modi declared via social media, assuring that those who “seek to harm” their future “will not be spared.”
Modi’s commitment, aimed at ensuring faster justice compared to the usual complex process of the Indian judicial system, was rejected by the Cockroach Janta Party (Cjp), the satirical name chosen by the youth protest movement after the Indian Supreme Court president called unemployed youth “cockroaches”. Cjp spokesperson Saurav Das called the prime minister’s promise “a patch” that “does not ensure accountability. There have been no convictions in all these years, so this measure is useless.”
On Monday, tens of thousands of young people participated in a massive anti-government demonstration, during which clashes occurred with law enforcement, who denied them permission to march towards Parliament, resulting in dozens of injuries on both sides. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also aligned with the movement, participating in a sit-in outside the prime minister’s home, where he was stopped by police. Yesterday, during a press conference, he reiterated the demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and asked Modi to apologize for not guaranteeing an equitable education system.
About a thousand protesters chose to remain camped at Jantar Mantar, a site in central Delhi where the protest took place on Monday, despite the exhausting heat and humidity. According to international media, several offer food and water sent by sympathizers, while others distribute meals, even to police on duty, or collect waste. In parallel, there is horizontal support from Indian youth for the Cjp’s demands, with three consecutive days of demonstrations in Mumbai and solidarity protests in Chennai, Indore, Hyderabad, and Patiala, as well as support expressed via social media.
The growth of the Cjp phenomenon, which has amassed over 25 million followers on Instagram since May, has coincided with a softening of the government’s stance, culminating in Modi’s social media promise, his first intervention on the matter. In recent days, several ministers have insisted they are willing to speak with members of the movement but have refused to discuss Pradhan’s resignation.
Meanwhile, Health Minister JP Nadda accused Gandhi of exploiting the protests for political ends. It was Nadda himself who met with Cjp leaders on Monday for the first time, but no results emerged from the meeting. Subsequently, movement founder Abhijeet Dipke stated that if ministers want to speak with them, they will have to come to the protest site and do so publicly.
