India Student Protests Give Opposition a Rare Opening Against Modi

When pent-up youth anger propelled India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to online fame in May, its founder said his supporters were disillusioned with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and the opposition for failing to address their concerns. Yet CJP leaders turned to opposition lawmakers and appealed directly for their support on Monday after police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters marching on parliament to demonstrate against damaging exam leaks and corruption. Opposition lawmakers were quick to oblige on Tuesday, after many young demonstrators were injured. Police personnel stand guard as India’s opposition party Indian National Congress stages a sit-in protest calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation outside the latter’s residence in New Delhi on July 21, 2026. — AFP The show of solidarity with protesters could help opposition parties win valuable young voters and broaden the appeal of the CJP, which has so far focused on demanding the education minister’s resignation over the exam paper leaks. Tens of thousands of protesters had turned out in Delhi, far more than expected, and images of the authorities’ crackdown spread across social media, prompting nearly all opposition parties to rally behind the movement, which has so far said it will keep out of electoral politics. An opportunity to gain the youth vote Analysts said the wider political support for the CJP comes with risks for the movement: concerns central to students, such as preventing exam paper leaks and creating more youth jobs, could be overshadowed by broader political agendas. But the backing could also help sustain them by providing resources, organisational support and a wider national platform. For the opposition, which has lost many elections to Modi since he first took office in 2014 on the back of anti-corruption protests, India’s young people represent a significant political opportunity. Those under 30 are estimated to make up more than half of India’s 1.42 billion population, and many have long been frustrated by a lack of jobs under Modi despite years of strong economic growth. Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke (back C) looks on during a protest demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET exam irregularities, in New Delhi on July 21, 2026. — AFP India’s next parliamentary elections are due by April 2029, but key states like the most populous, Uttar Pradesh, run by Modi’s party, and Punjab, vote next year. “I think the opposition has got a clear sense that there is a very strong sentiment against the government on this issue at least,” said Sanjay Kumar, professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, referring to the education minister. “If the movement remains undirected … the chances of a further crackdown on the movement are much higher. So the opposition parties see it as an opportunity and they will try to develop a soft corner among the pr