The reverberations of protests against the Election Commission of India will be felt in the corridors of power and show that the previous anti-NEET protests at Jantar Mantar that led to the resignation of the Union Education Minister were not just a flash in the pan. Unlike in the June-July Jantar Mantar protests, the government opted for a clampdown and detention of activists this time around, possibly due to the realisation of the political repercussions and administrative challenges of allowing mass protests in the heart of the national capital.
Under the glare of media cameras, the Delhi Police appears to be showing some “restraint” in detaining the protestors led by left-wing All India Students’ Association and its charismatic and courageous leader Neha Bora and a host of other assorted civil society activists. The brutal and indiscriminate lathi charge, especially the use of pellet guns, against all and sundry during the previous protest had put the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tight spot and under intense political scrutiny.
The violence unleashed by police, which directly reports to the second most powerful leader after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made him a sitting duck and left him defenceless in the wake of sustained attacks by the Opposition, resulting in the washout of the monsoon session. According to political observers, it could have robbed the most-feared BJP strongman of his power to frighten others.The GenZ-supported Cockroach Janata Party appears to have politically come of age as it shifted the protest to Mumbai, and it did not seem to now need the crutch of a senior activist like Sonam Wangchuk who could bring instant credibility and political heft to the then nascent movement.
Besides Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extending support, many politically aware and conscientious celebrities expressed solidarity through their participation. Live video coverage of the Shivaji Park protests has shown the CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke and his associates, could, on its own steam, mobilise not only enthusiastic, rebellious youth but also those of diverse demography.
The speakers launched a strong and direct attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and linked him to Narendra Modi and his government.
The government and the political establishment continue to find themselves at their wits’ end on how to counter an unconventional pressure group and its innovative and creative forms of protest on the ground and in the virtual world. Its hackneyed playbook includes instigating people to launch counter-protests or futile efforts to demonise it. For instance, it labels it as an expression of “grammar of anarchy”, using a phrase apparently used by BR Ambedkar.
On social media turf, the new BJP team is clearly out of its depth as none of its once-lethal dirty tricks is simply working against Gen Z. The BJP IT Cell’s crude and crass messaging is no match for the chaotic and irreverent humour and satire through creative Reels, memes, remixes, cinematic and AI edits.
Though it is too early to predict what the likely outcome of these protests will be, there are strong signs of the tide turning against the ruling party. With the clamour for accountability growing louder and protests expanding, the Modi-led BJP is fast losing its sheen of invincibility and exposing its feet of clay.