New Delhi (GNP): A large number of young Indian women who took part in the Cockroach Janta Party protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government say they have faced online harassment, threats and targeted abuse after videos and posts from the demonstrations went viral.
Speaking to media outlets, the women described a wave of misogynistic attacks, including rape threats, sexual insults, manipulated images and attempts to expose their personal information, following their participation in the youth-led movement, which used platforms such as Instagram to organise supporters and share satirical videos, protest songs and demonstration footage.
The movement drew widespread attention after a march toward India’s Parliament on July 20, when police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators. Delhi police said at least 60 protesters and 118 police personnel were injured in the clashes, though the Cockroach Janta Party disputed those figures, claiming the number of injured protesters was higher.
The protests turned several young participants into prominent online figures after their content attracted hundreds of thousands of views, and some of the women say they subsequently became targets of coordinated online attacks, which they allege were carried out at the behest of the Modi government.
According to the BBC, one content creator in her mid-20s who began posting about the protests from their start said the backlash against her began almost immediately after she questioned the prime minister’s comments, describing being slut-shamed and attacked online.
She said she had blocked numerous abusive accounts but that the harassment continued, adding that her mother had stopped reading comments on her posts because of the language being used. A 20-year-old college student who attended her first protest said one of her videos was broadcast on national television, after which her identity began circulating online and users attempted to identify her college and personal details.
She said she received threatening and sexually explicit messages, and that relatives and acquaintances contacted her parents urging her to delete her videos, prompting her to remove or archive most of her protest-related content.
Another student activist said her involvement in the protests led to a sharp increase in harassment after previously posting satirical content criticising the prime minister. She said users edited her photographs, labelled her “anti-national,” accused her of supporting extremist causes, and targeted her with religiously motivated abuse after identifying her as Muslim.
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Her father, a journalist, said he grew concerned after reading the comments directed at her, fearing she could face legal consequences similar to those experienced by other activists, though she said she remained committed to her decision to attend the protest.
A separate student from West Bengal, who supported the movement online and helped organise a fundraiser before attending a protest in Kolkata on July 20, said harassment intensified after police began detaining protesters in the state, prompting her to change her social media name, set her account to private and restrict messages from unknown users. She said male protesters expressing similar views did not appear to face comparable levels of sexualised abuse.
The accounts point to broader concerns about online intimidation of women activists in India, where social media has become an increasingly central arena for political expression and debate. The women said that while they anticipated criticism for their views, the scale of the threats, gender-based abuse and attempts to expose their personal information went beyond ordinary political disagreement. Many said they have since reduced their online presence, though some indicated they remain determined to continue speaking out despite the risks.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
