Jantar Mantar protests: a satirical take on Modi, Nehru, and Pradhan

The Story in Brief

In a satirical column on nationalheraldindia.com, Avay Shuklai draws a sharp contrast between Jawaharlal Nehru's 1947 'tryst with destiny' speech and Narendra Modi's 2026 midnight video address, which he dismisses as a defensive move. Shuklai then lampoons the Jantar Mantar protests, linking them to a Chief Justice of India's remark equating youth to cockroaches, which he claims ignited student outrage. He skewers a union minister's resignation letter as self-aggrandising and mocks a general's praise for it. The piece ends with a crude pun suggesting the minister's letter was an obscenity. The tone is consistently caustic, targeting the government, judiciary, and security establishment.

The column, titled 'Jantar Mantar and the other side of midnight', is a blistering commentary on recent Indian politics. Shuklai mocks the CJI's refusal to view police violence footage and the subsequent protests. He invents an acronym 'CJP' to suggest the Chief Justice leads a party. The minister's resignation is portrayed as a theatrical act. The writer employs exaggerated metaphors, calling the government 'authoritarian' and protesters 'invincible cockroaches'. The piece ends with a vulgar pun, reinforcing its contempt for current leadership.