• Rights group criticises govt for blocking account.
• BJP Minister Kiren Rijiju dismisses group’s claims.
• Minister questions authenticity of group’s followers.
  

A viral social media account focusing on the concerns of India’s Gen Z has come under attack, with its founder alleging hacking and threats to his family after it won millions of followers disenchanted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) account garnered more than 22 million followers on Instagram within days, reflecting mounting unease among young users on issues it highlighted, from unemployment to the leaks of exam questions.

“The government has taken down our iconic website,” founder Abhijeet Dipke wrote on X, adding that its X account had been withheld in India while the group’s Instagram account had been compromised and his family had received threats.

Reuters could not independently verify the claim of a government takedown. The government has not publicly confirmed any action against the website or the Instagram account.

India’s home and IT ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

State electoral wins by Modi’s party

The surge in popularity of the account contrasts with recent electoral victories by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in key states, beefing up its position after more than a decade in power nationally.

Digital rights group the Internet Freedom Foundation criticised the alleged blocking of the X account as an arbitrary bid to curb free speech.

On social media, federal minister Kiren Rijiju, a senior BJP leader, dismissed the phenomenon, saying he pitied those who sought their social media followers from outside the country.

“Those who are heroes of the anti-India gang cannot be heroes of India,” Rijiju said on X in a post that made no mention of the viral CJP. “We have complete faith in Indian democracy and Indian youth.”

Reacting to the minister’s remark, Dipke posted a demographic analysis of his Instagram account, saying, “More than 94% of the audience is from India.”

On his X handle, he asked, “Why is a union minister, Kiren Rijiju, labelling Indian youth as Pakistani?”

Youth anxiety

A survey by polling agency Cvoter found the concerns flagged by the account resonated with younger Indians, as more than 60% of respondents aged between 18 and 24 said they felt anxious about their future.

Six in ten survey respondents said it reflected frustrations over unemployment and governance issues such as exam paper leaks, including one for a recent medical entrance test that affected about 2.3 million candidates.

Joblessness among India’s urban youth stands at 14%, which is far higher than overall unemployment of about 5%, official data show.

A majority of survey respondents said any state action to block such social media platforms would not be justified.

Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the online movement could gain adherents if it spread beyond social media.

“If they want to take it forward, they will have to organise and mobilise on the ground,” he said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said that Tehran’s current priority is to end the ongoing tensions and conflict through negotiations. Addressing a press conference today, he clarified that there are currently no plans to send an Iranian delegation to Pakistan, while noting that Iran remains in contact with countries cooperating on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei added that recent progress in negotiations has been made possible through the mediation efforts of Pakistan and other countries.

Baghaei said that the management of the Strait of Hormuz falls within the jurisdiction of coastal states, adding that Iran will ensure the protection of ships passing through the waterway and will respond to any act of aggression. He further stated that any proposed memorandum of understanding does not include detailed provisions on the management of the strait.

He said that most points in the ongoing negotiations have been agreed upon, but stressed that this does not mean a final deal or signing is imminent. According to him, Iran is currently focused on practical steps and shaping its strategy based on ground realities, while continuing to define its own policy independently. He added that pressure and threats are part of politics, but Iran makes its decisions based on its own assessments.

Baghaei further said that Iran and the United States have reached a general framework and are engaged in talks aimed at ending the conflict, although nuclear issues are not part of the current discussions. He cautioned against assumptions that a formal agreement or announcement is close.

He also said that a proposed ceasefire framework reportedly covers all fronts of the conflict, and that Iran is acting with a focus on implementation rather than rhetoric.

• BJP govt claims move aimed at targeting illegal migrants.
• Critics say measure reflects hardline stance on immigration.
• Order sparks fear among minorities about arbitrary expulsions.
  

India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist party has ordered detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal state, sparking fear among minorities that it could lead to arbitrary expulsions.

The directive comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in the eastern state for the first time since the country’s independence in 1947.

The order calls on local authorities to set up “holding centres” for “apprehended foreigners” awaiting deportation, as part of a broader crackdown on illegal migration.

The government has defended its “detect, delete, deport” principle, saying those targeted are migrants staying illegally in the country.

“Illegal migration has security and socio-economic ramifications which are often well beyond law enforcement” read the order, issued last week.

The decision has fuelled anxiety among West Bengal’s roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Critics say the measure reflects the government’s long-standing hardline stance on immigration, with top BJP members referring to Bangladeshi migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators” in the past.

The party has pursued similar policies in the neighbouring state of Assam, where it has overseen sweeping identification drives and largescale detentions.

Rights activists say hundreds have been deported to Bangladesh from Assam without due legal process, often based on ethnic profiling.

Many of them have been allegedly pushed across the border at gunpoint, according to activists and lawyers who have challenged the measures in court.

They argue the policies disproportionately impact the Muslim population by conflating religious identity with illegal migration.

The planned centres in West Bengal have drawn particular concern because of the state’s porous border with Bangladesh and its long history of migration.

The inclusion of Rohingya refugees in the order has also drawn criticism.

India has previously been accused by humanitarian groups of forcibly returning Rohingya to Myanmar, despite ongoing conflict there, in potential violation of international norms on refugee protection.

Adding to the unease of the Muslims, the BJP-led government in Assam on Monday introduced legislation to amend personal religious laws, which critics say could further marginalise minorities.