Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing political pressure amid youth-led protests over unemployment, alleged electoral irregularities and concerns about press freedom, according to an opinion article published in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper on October 13, 2026.The protests have reportedly intensified, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and greater accountability from the Election Commission.In the article, columnist Javed Naqvi links the growing discontent to frustration among young people over unemployment and alleged irregularities in elections. Anger has also mounted over controversies surrounding medical entrance examinations, including cancellations and allegations of mismanagement. The article refers to student suicides amid the wider education and employment crisis.Comments attributed to the Chief Justice about unemployed young people have also reportedly fuelled public anger.Allegations over voter deletionsThe article alleges that two election commissioners raised concerns about irregularities involving the deletion of around 130 million names from voter lists. The author further claims that the alleged actions benefited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections in Bihar and West Bengal.These claims have not been independently verified in this report.Security has reportedly been tightened in New Delhi, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed to manage the protests. The article says security forces have been brought in from Jammu and Kashmir and other areas, including some units stationed near the Pakistan border.One group of protesters has reportedly adopted the name “Cockroach Janata Party”. The author describes many demonstrators as young people from Hindu middle-class families, arguing that their participation could make a forceful government response politically difficult.The article also draws a comparison with the 2020 Shaheen Bagh protests against India’s citizenship policies.Opposition parties back protestsOpposition parties have expressed support for the demonstrations, but the article suggests that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are competing for political credit, particularly ahead of next year’s Punjab election.The author also raises concerns over changes to the process for appointing election commissioners and legal protections granted to the chief election commissioner, arguing that these developments have intensified questions about the Election Commission’s independence.Protesters outline broader demandsBeyond the demand for the election chief’s resignation, protesters are reportedly calling for accountability over the alleged deletion of eligible voters’ names from electoral rolls.Their demands also include reserving 50 per cent of cabinet positions for women, increasing women’s representation in Parliament, taking action against media outlets perceived as close to the Modi government, and strengthening press freedom.Other demands reportedly include stricter restrictions on lawmakers who switch political parties, including long-term disqualification from elections and public office, as well as greater transparency in political party financing.The protests present a challenge for the Modi government as concerns over jobs, electoral credibility and democratic accountability converge. However, the scale of the demonstrations, the allegations concerning electoral irregularities and the protesters’ demands require independent verification.
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