Protests in India have intensified due to the removal of approximately 130 million names from the voter list by election officials. Protesters believe that this action was taken to strengthen the position of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi.
Government Response to Protests
Election officials have justified this process as a "special and intensive review" and stated that its aim was to remove illegal voters. However, critics believe that this action is effectively designed to benefit the BJP and have called for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner.
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The Indian government has responded harshly to these protests, locking down the capital, New Delhi, and arresting several leaders of the newly established youth party "Janta Kakroach Movement" (CJP). An Indian court also extended the detention of two leaders of this movement, Ashtosh Ranka and Sourav Das, on Monday.
Political and Social Developments
The Janta Kakroach Movement emerged last summer as a powerful force in Indian politics and successfully organized a campaign to oust the Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on July 25. These protests have had profound impacts on public perceptions of the Modi government, placing him in a weaker position.
Conversations surrounding these protests and their impact on Modi's status indicate that public trust in him has diminished. Particularly, the attitudes and mindsets of young people during these protests have shifted significantly, and negative sentiments towards the government appear to be on the rise.
While Modi has been in power for 12 years, some of his achievements in infrastructure have been recognized, but there has also been significant criticism regarding the poor state of India's relations with its neighbors and the degradation of republican institutions.
Given that India has one of the largest youth populations in the world, the quality of education and job prospects for young people in the country is very poor, and this situation seems concerning compared to countries where young people have engaged in similar protests.
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