Gen Z protests led by India’s 'Cockroach party' are testing Modi’s leadership

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel fire tear gas shells to disperse supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET exam irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. Indian police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters in New Delhi on July 20 as they tried to march on parliament to demand the resignation of the education minister over irregularities in major examinations. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP via Getty Images)Arun Sankar | Afp | Getty ImagesThousands of Gen Z student protestors, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, a pseudo-political outfit, continued to gather in New Delhi on Wednesday even as authorities have cracked down on the movement.India has one of the world's largest youth populations, and the protests are the result of Gen Z anger stemming from youth unemployment and lack of economic mobility, experts said."The ongoing demonstrations could represent the most significant public challenge to the government since the farmers' mobilization in 2020-2021," Atman Trivedi, partner at Washington-based DGA Albright Stonebridge Group, told CNBC.The CJP starte...