Bengaluru (India) (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's carefully built image of invincibility is facing its toughest test yet, analysts say, after his government backed down in the face of youth-led protests over exam irregularities and jobs prospects.
Issued on: 29/07/2026 - 08:38
4 min Reading time
The government's retreat marks a rare reversal for a leader whose brand has for more than a decade projected strength and an unwillingness to back down.Demonstrations led by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement last week spread from New Delhi to cities nationwide, forcing the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The government also agreed not to prosecute protesters detained during the unrest, among other concessions.Analysts say the climbdown, ahead of key state elections next year, is one of the few occasions public pressure has compelled Modi, 75, to backtrack since he took power in 2014.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters dance to celebrate the resignation of India's education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 25, 2026 © Arun SANKAR / AFP
