India’s youth protesters are fighting Modi with irreverent humour and memes

What the report says

Al Jazeera, carrying an Associated Press report, describes a youth-led protest movement in India that is combining street demonstrations with an online campaign of memes, parody videos and satirical posts aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The report says thousands have demonstrated in New Delhi, with related protests also appearing in other cities, while student activists in Kolkata were photographed on July 24, 2026, demanding education reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party movement.

According to the report, the protests began about a month ago after anger over exam scandals, including the alleged illegal sharing of entrance exams for the national medical programme. Demonstrators say the scandals damaged trust in the education system and threatened students’ futures. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, the report says, but the protests have grown into a broader demand for government accountability.

A satirical group called the Cockroach Janta Party is credited in the article with helping shape the movement’s tone. Protesters have used jokes about running from police, references to mobile games, “get ready with me” videos, costumes and placards that borrow from pop culture. The report says some protesters view humour as both a coping tool and a way to communicate in the fast, visual style of their generation.

The article frames the campaign as a challenge to Modi’s long-standing strength on social media, noting that protesters are now using the same platforms to ridicule official messaging and pro-government television coverage. Al Jazeera/AP says the movement is politically significant because young people make up a large share of India’s population, and because the jokes increasingly target Modi personally as he faces pressure over how to respond.