The Cockroach Janta Party’s march on Parliament in Delhi on Monday made headlines in the international English media, with many highlighting the police crackdown on protesters and the internet blackout in the heart of the national capital.

They framed the protest as one of the largest and most visible signs of dissent against the Narendra Modi government in recent years. Some drew comparisons with the “Gen Z protests” that have toppled governments in neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal.

The New York Times reported how “chaotic scenes played out on the streets of Delhi” while “a smiling Mr Modi” tried to project an image of calm in Parliament and did not address the demands of the protesters.

It said that this was consistent with Modi’s position that his ministers are not answerable to public pressure but that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party may have underestimated “the raw anger among young people in India”, drawing parallels with the “Gen Z” protests in the neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal that have toppled governments.

“His image as a strongman may also be showing cracks,” said The New York Times report.

The report published by ‘The New York Times’.

The New York Times also pointed out how government-friendly television channels that “had largely ignored the buildup to Monday’s protest”, broadcast scenes of panic around Parliament.

A BBC report noted the striking contrast between the gathering crowds of protesters draped in the tricolour and holding placards around Jantar Mantar while the police sealed “every road to Parliament”.

It said that as the police pushed back, “some protesters returned to Jantar Mantar bleeding from the head or limping, while others were carried back by fellow demonstrators.”

“The movement has broadened into one of the most visible expressions of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent years,” said the report.

The report published by the ‘BBC’.

The Financial Times reported that the Delhi Police “repeatedly fired tear gas and beat protesters with sticks and plastic batons”.

It said that the scale of the protest – “the biggest seen in the capital in years” – threatened to spill over into a broader challenge to the Modi government despite the recent victories in state elections. In the state election results declared in May, the BJP swept West Bengal while retaining power in Assam.

The report highlighted that as the police began using force to disperse the crowd around central Delhi, the protesters responded by shouting back: “Whenever Modi is scared, he puts forward the cops.”

The report published by the ‘Financial Times’.

The business publication Bloomberg reported that a day after the crackdown, “protesters vowed to press on...adding pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government”. It said that Monday’s demonstrations were largest in the national capital since the farmer protests in 2021.

The report highlighted the significance of the huge demonstrations ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

It pointed out that despite the BJP’s recent state election victories, the “Cockroach protests signal brewing discontent that will test Modi’s BJP at the polls – including in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, which is due to hold a vote by next May.”

The Wall Street Journal said that Monday’s protests were “one of biggest demonstrations to have faced Prime Minister Narendra Modi in years”.

The Guardian, in a report headlined “Tens of thousands of Cockroach movement protesters defy police with Delhi march”, said that it was the “largest anti-government demonstrations in years”.

Like other publications, the report pointed out that it was a protest dominated by young Indians, noting that the huge crowd was “largely made up of students and gen Z-ers”.

The report published by ‘The Guardian’.

It said that attempts by the protesters to move towards Parliament were met with “police brutality including the use of batons and teargas”.

Protesters were “vocal in their anger at Narendra Modi’s government and his ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), accusing them of failing the country’s young people”, said The Guardian report.

Noting that “rage was palpable on Delhi’s streets”, the report pointed out that while youth-led movements had toppled governments in neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, “such large-scale expressions of dissent have become unusual in India in recent years”.

Written by Divya Aslesha. Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.

Also read: