Coalition of ‘disillusioned’

Three months ago, the E20 fuel scandal in India sparked widespread outrage on social media before converging at Jantar Mantar. The government initially paused the higher ethanol blending and contemplated reintroducing E10 to prevent engine damage in older vehicles. However, the CJP protests over the NEET cancellation overshadowed the fuel issue.

The diverse crowd at Jantar Mantar on July 20 comprised a coalition of disillusioned individuals, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government eventually complied and Nandan Nilekani was brought in to restore credibility in the examination system. Currently, protests are taking place against the SIR of electoral rolls, which has stripped 13 crore voters off the draft rolls.

The government must restore every eligible voter, remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and rebuild trust in the electoral process. Removing the CEC is a challenging task, as per the Constitution, but bureaucrats suggest that technicalities can be overcome. Despite the inability of the government to remove the CEC, the BJP remains convinced that Kumar should stay.

The leadership acknowledges his overzealous efforts to "clean up" the rolls and continues to back him. The protests against the CEC and the SIR are viewed through a political prism, with the BJP framing them as a loser's complaint and trying to discredit the Congress's stance on an independent and accountable Election Commission.

The government and the BJP believe they can capitalize on this discontent to gain political advantage.