India's Gen Z protest enters a new online battle

The crowds have long dispersed from the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) main New Delhi protest site next to the Jantar Mantar.

But the CJP's 36-day campaign, which started as a satirical protest against exam leaks and grew into a wider movement voicing young Indians' anger over jobs and education, has entered a new phase.

The authorities and the CJP are now battling to shape how India's first Gen Z-led protest will be remembered.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, fulfilling one of the CJP's key demands after weeks of protests that withstood tear gas and baton charges.

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says the minister's resignation demonstrates government accountability, while the CJP argues it was a concession won through sustained public pressure.

The BJP has mounted a coordinated online campaign aimed at reframing the movement, observers say.

MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Sambit Patra have shared videos of protesters allegedly abusing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, while Modi himself said he forgave those responsible .

Meanwhile, BJP leaders J P Nadda and Pradhan have argued that opposition parties and "anti-national forces" sought to exploit genuine student grievances for political gain.