The cockroach

Demonstrations in India are a huge headache for Modi ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up here. What started as a social-media joke named after one of the world’s least-loved insects — the cockroach — has grown into one of India’s biggest student-protest movements in years and a huge headache for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Cockroach Janta Party began as a satirical website mocking a top judge who had used the insect to describe some of India’s unemployed youth. Launched in May by a 30-year-old Boston University graduate, its Instagram following overtook Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party within days, rising to more than 20 million. Now the movement has spilled onto the streets as one of the most striking expressions of dissent under Modi. Supporters of the CJP clash with police during a protest in New Delhi on Monday. Photographer: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images The protesters started by demanding the resignation of his education minister after a string of exam scandals. But their focus quickly evolved into broader frustration about unemployment and corruption. That leaves Modi with few good options. A heavy-handed government response risks alienating the young, middle-class voters who have been an important constituency for him. But allowing the protests to grow carries its own risks, particularly after police used tear gas and batons in clashes with demonstrators who attempted to march on Parliament this week. The violence is prompting comparisons with other Gen Z-led movements that reshaped politics elsewhere in South Asia, from Bangladesh to Nepal. Modi has survived major street uprisings in the past. But the speed at which this online joke caught the imagination and gathered momentum in the real world has surprised even seasoned political observers in India. Critics say that despite its popularity, the Cockroach Janta Party lacks what’s needed to survive as a political movement. It isn’t even a registered political party yet. Others point to one of the most defining features of cockroaches as a species — they are notoriously hard to eradicate. — Diksha Madhok A protest in Bengaluru on Monday. Photographer: Aijaz Rahi/AP Photo Global Must Reads US President Donald Trump is poised to impose fresh levies on products from dozens of economies by Friday, sources say, a move to ensure his tariff regime remains intact even after stopgap 10% global duties lapse. Generic drug manufacturers will meanwhile have two years to move production to the US or face a 100% import duty from August 2028 and double that a year later, he said, threatening the supply of low-cost medicines that millions of Americans rely on. Trump minimized the prospect of immediate talks with Iran as the two sides exchanged strikes and Houthi militants in Yemen threatened shipping in the Red Sea. 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Photographer: Carl Bergman/Bloomberg More from Bloomberg Check out our Bloomberg Investigates film series about untold stories and unraveled mysteries Next China for dispatches from Beijing on where China stands now — and where it’s going next Next Africa, a daily newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed Economics Daily for what the changing landscape means for policymakers, investors and you Green Daily for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance Get Next Japan for an inside view of the forces reshaping Japan, and what’s next for its businesses, markets and consumers Explore more newsletters at Bloomberg.com We’re improving your newsletter experience and we’d love your feedback. If something looks off, help us by reporting it here. Follow Us You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg’s Balance of Power newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, sign up here to get it in your inbox. 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