Modi proposes fast-track courts to quell rising ‘cockroach’ youth protests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to establish fast-track courts to swiftly punish officials involved in examination paper leaks, attempting to contain a widespread youth-led protest movement that has rocked New Delhi and disrupted Parliament. Posting on X in his first public remarks on the crisis, Modi declared that “those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared”.

The satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), coined after India’s top judge reportedly likened unemployed youths to “cockroaches”, promptly rejected Modi’s proposal as a superficial “Band-aid” measure. The CJP continues to demand  educational reforms and the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has faced intense pressure following 152 recorded paper leaks over the past decade.

The movement has escalated rapidly across India, drawing tens of thousands of demonstrators to New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and prompting solidarity marches in cities including Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Opposition parties, led by Rahul Gandhi, have forced shutdowns in Parliament while demanding that Modi apologise and dismiss Pradhan, as government officials accuse the opposition of exploiting student grievances for political leverage.