Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Template:Business administration

2026-09-30T19:33:25Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Sidebar with collapsible lists | name = Business administration | titlestyle = font-size:130%; | title = Business administration | bodyclass = hlist | listtitlestyle = text-align: center; | expanded = true | list1name = Accounting | list1title = Accounting | list1 = * Management accounting * Financial accounting * Audit | list2name = Business entities | list2title = Business entity (list)..."

{{Sidebar with collapsible lists
| name = Business administration
| titlestyle = font-size:130%;
| title = [[Business administration]]
| bodyclass = hlist
| listtitlestyle = text-align: center;
| expanded = true

| list1name = Accounting
| list1title = [[Accounting]]
| list1 =
* [[Management accounting]]
* [[Financial accounting]]
* [[Audit]]

| list2name = Business entities
| list2title = [[Legal person|Business entity]] ([[List of legal entity types by country|list]])
| list2 =
* [[Corporate group]]
* [[Corporation sole]]
* [[Company]]
* [[Conglomerate (company)|Conglomerate]]
* [[Holding company]]
* [[Cooperative]]
* [[Corporation]]
* [[Joint-stock company]]
* [[Limited liability company]]
* [[Partnership]]
* [[Privately held company]]
* [[Sole proprietorship]]
* [[State-owned enterprise]]

| list3name = Corporate governance
| list3title = [[Corporate governance]]
| list3 =
* [[Annual general meeting]]
* [[Board of directors]]
* [[Supervisory board]]
* [[Advisory board]]
* [[Audit committee]]

| list4name = Corporate law
| list4title = [[Corporate law]]
| list4 =
* [[Commercial law]]
* [[Constitutional documents]]
* [[Contract]]
* [[Corporate crime]]
* [[Corporate liability]]
* [[Insolvency law]]
* [[International trade law]]
* [[Mergers and acquisitions]]

| list5name = Corporate title
| list5title = [[Corporate title]]
| list5 =
* [[chair (officer)|Chairman]]
* [[Chief business officer]]/[[Chief brand officer]]
* [[Chief executive officer]]/[[Chief operating officer]]
* [[Chief financial officer]]
* [[Chief human resources officer]]
* [[Chief information officer]]/[[Chief marketing officer]]
* [[Chief product officer]]/[[Chief technology officer]]

| list6name = Economics
| list6title = [[Economics]]
| list6 =
* [[Commodity]]
* [[Public economics]]
* [[Labour economics]]
* [[Development economics]]
* [[International economics]]
* [[Mixed economy]]
* [[Planned economy]]
* [[Econometrics]]
* [[Environmental economics]]
* [[Open economy]]
* [[Market economy]]
* [[Knowledge economy]]
* [[Microeconomics]]
* [[Macroeconomics]]
* [[Economic development]]
* [[Economic statistics]]

| list7name = Finance
| list7title = Finance
| list7 =
* [[Financial statement]]
* [[Insurance]]
* [[Factoring (finance)|Factoring]]
* [[Cash conversion cycle]]
* [[Insider dealing]]
* [[Capital budgeting]]
* [[Commercial bank]]
* [[Derivative (finance)|Derivative]]
* [[Financial statement analysis]]
* [[Financial risk]]
* [[Public finance]]
* [[Corporate finance]]
* [[Managerial finance]]
* [[International finance]]
* [[Liquidation]]
* [[Stock market]]
* [[Financial market]]
* [[Tax]]
* [[Financial institution]]
* [[Capital management]]
* [[Venture capital]]

| list8name = Management
| list8title =Types of management
| list8 =
* [[Asset management|Asset]]
* [[Brand management|Brand]]
* [[Business intelligence]]
* [[Business development]]
* [[Capacity management|Capacity]]
* [[Capability management in business|Capability]]
* [[Change management|Change]]
** [[Innovation management|innovation]]
* [[Commercial management|Commercial]]
** [[Marketing management|Marketing]]
* [[Communications management|Communications]]
* [[Configuration management|Configuration]]
* [[Conflict management|Conflict]]
* [[Content management|Content]]
* [[Customer relationship management|Customer relationship]]
* [[Distributed management|Distributed]]
* [[Earned value management|Earned value]]
* [[Electronic business]]
* [[Enterprise resource planning]] 
** [[management information system]]
* [[Financial management|Financial]]
* [[Human resource management|Human resource]] 
** [[Human resources|development]]
* [[Incident management|Incident]]
* [[Knowledge management|Knowledge]]
* [[Enterprise legal management|Legal]]
* [[Materials management|Materials]]
* [[Network management|Network]]
** [[Network administrator|administrator]]
* [[Office management|Office]]
* [[Operations management|Operations]] 
** [[Operations management for services|services]]
* [[Performance management|Performance]]
* [[Power management|Power]]
* [[Business process management|Process]]
* [[Product life-cycle management|Product life-cycle]]
* [[Product management|Product]]
* [[Project management|Project]]
* [[Property management|Property]]
* [[Quality management|Quality]]
* [[Records management|Records]]
* [[Resource management|Resource]]
* [[Risk management|Risk]] 
** [[Crisis management|crisis]]
* [[Sales management|Sales]]
* [[Security management|Security]]
* [[Service management|Service]]
* [[Strategic management|Strategic]]
* [[Supply chain management|Supply chain]]
* [[Systems management|Systems]]
** [[System administrator|administrator]]
* [[Talent management|Talent]]
* [[Technology management|Technology]]

| list9name = Organization
| list9title = Organization
| list9 =
* [[Organizational architecture|Architecture]]
* [[Organizational behavior|Behavior]]
* [[Organizational communication|Communication]]
* [[Organizational culture|Culture]]
* [[Organizational conflict|Conflict]]
* [[Organization development|Development]]
* [[Organizational engineering|Engineering]]
* [[Hierarchical organization|Hierarchy]]
* [[Organizational patterns|Patterns]]
* [[Organizational space|Space]]
* [[Organizational structure|Structure]]

| lis10name = Trade
| list10title = [[Trade]]
| list10 =
* [[Business analysis]]
* [[Business ethics]]
* [[Business plan]]
* [[Business judgment rule]]
* [[Consumer behaviour]]
* [[International business]]
* [[Business model]]
* [[International trade]]
** [[Trade route]]
* [[Business process]]
* [[Business statistics]]

|below =
* {{portal-inline|size=tiny|Business}}

}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Business and finance sidebar templates]]
</noinclude>

Welingkar Institute of Management

2026-09-30T19:32:57Z

BellaCH: Redirected page to WE School

#Redirect [[WE School]]

Business administration

2026-09-30T19:32:35Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Short description|Administration of a commercial enterprise}} {{for|the legal procedure similar to bankruptcy|Administration (law)}} {{Business administration}} '''Business administration''', also known as '''business management''', is the administration of a commercial enterprise.<ref> Compare: {{cite book | last1 = Thu | first1 = Peter | last2 = Stuive | first2 = Rienk | year = 2012 | title = Business Administration | url = https://bo..."

{{Short description|Administration of a commercial enterprise}}
{{for|the legal procedure similar to bankruptcy|Administration (law)}}
{{Business administration}}
'''Business administration''', also known as '''business management''', is the administration of a [[commerce|commercial]] [[business|enterprise]].<ref>
Compare:
{{cite book
| last1 = Thu
| first1 = Peter
| last2 = Stuive
| first2 = Rienk
| year = 2012
| title = Business Administration
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=E_vADwAAQBAJ
| series = Routledge-Noordhoff International Editions
| edition = reprint
| location = Groningen
| publisher = Routledge
| publication-date = 2019
| isbn = 9781000035889
| access-date = 7 November 2020
| quote = [...] business administration is the branch of science that deals with the organisation of and the context around businesses.
}}
</ref> It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization.

== Overview ==
The administration of a business includes the performance or management of business operations and [[decision-making]], as well as the efficient organization of people and other resources to direct activities towards common [[goal]]s. In general, "administration" refers to the broader [[management]] function, including the associated [[finance]], [[Employment|personnel]] and [[management information systems|MIS]] services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Business Administration: Master's of Business Administration |url=https://www.christendom.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/christendom_business.pdf |access-date=2024-06-15 |archive-date=2025-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501150152/https://www.christendom.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/christendom_business.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Administration can refer to the [[bureaucracy|bureaucratic]] or operational performance of routine [[office]] tasks,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Farazmand|first=Ali|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3D4DpKDZq0C&q=Administration+can+refer+to+the+bureaucratic+or+operational+performance+of+routine+office+tasks&pg=PA241|title=Bureaucracy and Administration|date=2009-06-23|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-1522-5|language=en}}</ref> usually internally oriented and reactive rather than proactive. Administrators, broadly speaking, perform a common set of functions to achieve an organization's goals. [[Henri Fayol]] (1841–1925) described these "functions" of the administrator as "[[fayolism#Fayol's Elements (or functions) of Management|the five elements of administration]]".<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2020-10-18|title=Henri Fayol, practitioner and theoretician – revered and reviled|url=https://doi.org/10.1108/17511341011073960|journal=Journal of Management History|doi=10.1108/17511341011073960|last1=Golden Pryor|first1=Mildred|last2=Taneja|first2=Sonia|volume=16|issue=4|pages=489–503|url-access=subscription}}</ref> According to Fayol, the five functions of management are planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. Without proper business management, a firm cannot utilize its resources effectively, making management the most important factor in running a business.<ref>
{{cite book
| last1 = Candoli
| first1 = I. Carl
| last2 = Hack
| first2 = Walter G.
| last3 = Ray
| first3 = John R.
| chapter = School Business Administration as a Subset of Generic Management
| title = School business administration: a planning approach
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Js2dAAAAMAAJ
| edition = 4
| publisher = Allyn and Bacon
| date = 1991
| page = 58
| isbn = 9780205131396
| access-date = 16 October 2019
}}</ref>
=== Key skills for business management ===
[[Strategic thinking]], [[leadership]], [[problem-solving]], [[communication]], and the ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people and organizations are among the key skills and competencies required of effective managers. Managers must also be able to balance the needs and interests of various stakeholders, such as employees, customers, shareholders, and the larger community. Management is a critical aspect of any successful organization, requiring a wide range of skills, knowledge, and expertise. Whether managing a small team or a large corporation, effective management is essential for achieving success and driving growth. Another critical aspect of management is effectively managing and motivating employees. Managers must foster a positive and productive work environment while recognizing and rewarding employees who contribute to the organization's overall success. This can include providing opportunities for professional development and growth, establishing clear communication channels, and ensuring that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.<ref>Tejas Ramdas, Raffaella Sadun, and Nicholas Bloom (2022). [https://hbr.org/2022/09/visualizing-a-century-of-management-ideas?ab=seriesnav-bigidea|url=https://hbr.org/2022/09/visualizing-a-century-of-management-ideas?ab=seriesnav-bigidea&registration=success "Visualizing a Century of Management Ideas".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912140631/https://hbr.org/2022/09/visualizing-a-century-of-management-ideas?ab=seriesnav-bigidea%7Curl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fhbr.org%2F2022%2F09%2Fvisualizing-a-century-of-management-ideas%3Fab%3Dseriesnav-bigidea&registration=success |date=2024-09-12 }} [[Harvard Business Review]], September 19 2022.</ref>

=== Concepts in business management ===

* [[Organizational culture|Corporate culture]]
* [[Fail fast (business)|Fail fast]]
* [[Kanban]]
* [[Sunk cost]]

== Academic degrees ==

=== Bachelor of Business Administration ===
{{Main|Bachelor of Business Administration|Bachelor of Commerce}}

The [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] (BBA, B.B.A., BSBA, B.S.B.A., BS, B.S., or B.Sc.), [[Bachelor of Science]] in Business, Business Administration, Business Management (BS), or [[Bachelor of Commerce]] (Bcom. or BComm) is a bachelor's degree in [[commerce]] and business administration. The duration of the degree is four years<ref>{{Cite web |title=Earning A Business Administration Bachelor's Degree: Admission Requirements, Courses And Careers – Forbes Advisor |url=https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/business-and-marketing/bachelors-in-business-administration/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=www.forbes.com |date=15 November 2022 |archive-date=2024-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121122955/https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/business-and-marketing/bachelors-in-business-administration/ |url-status=live }}</ref> in the United States and three years<ref>{{Cite web |title=BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (B.B.A.) |url=https://eiu.ac/bba-programmes/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=European International University - Study Anytime, Anywhere. |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601094816/https://eiu.ac/bba-programmes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> in Europe (except in Spain and some other countries where a bachelor takes 4 years). The degree is designed to provide a broad understanding of the functional aspects of a company and its interconnections, while also allowing specialization in a particular area. The degree also develops the student's practical, managerial, and communication skills, as well as business decision-making capabilities, to succeed in the competitive world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-23 |title=BBA Degree {{!}} 6 Proven Benefits on the Path to Success |url=https://tau.edu.zm/blog/path-to-success-6-proven-benefits-of-a-bba-degree/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241115053554/https://tau.edu.zm/blog/path-to-success-6-proven-benefits-of-a-bba-degree/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many programs incorporate training and practical experience, in the form of case projects, presentations, internships, industrial visits, and interaction with experts from industry.

=== Master of Business Administration ===
{{Main|Master of Business Administration}}

The [[Master of Business Administration]] (MBA or M.B.A.) is a master's degree in business administration with a significant focus on management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is a Master of Business Administration (MBA)? |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mba.asp |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Investopedia |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008225241/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mba.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> The MBA degree originated in the United States in the early-20th century,<ref>{{Cite web |title=MBA History {{!}} Origins of the MBA Degree |url=https://good.mba/mba-history-origins-of-the-mba-degree/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Good MBA |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615063611/https://good.mba/mba-history-origins-of-the-mba-degree/ |url-status=live }}</ref> when the nation industrialized and companies sought scientific approaches to management. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business, such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and operations, in a manner most relevant to management analysis and strategy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MBA Explained: Types, Courses & Specializations |url=https://www.learningroutes.in/blog/mba-master-of-business-administration-guide |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=www.learningroutes.in |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615070615/https://www.learningroutes.in/blog/mba-master-of-business-administration-guide |url-status=live }}</ref> Most programs also include elective courses.

=== Master of Management ===
{{Main|Master of Management|Master of Science in Management}}

The [[Master of Management]] (MiM) or [[Master of Science in Management]] (MSM) is a postgraduate degree with a focus in [[business management]].<ref name="Kaplan_2018">{{Cite journal |last=Kaplan |first=Andreas |date=July 2018 |title=A school is "a building that has four walls…with tomorrow inside": Toward the reinvention of the business school |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0007681318300624 |journal=Business Horizons |language=en |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=599–608 |doi=10.1016/j.bushor.2018.03.010 |archive-date=2024-07-31 |access-date=2026-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731081807/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0007681318300624 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In terms of content, it is similar to the [[Master of Business Administration]] (MBA) degree as it contains identical management courses but is open to prospective postgraduate candidates at any level in their career, unlike MBA programs that have longer [[course credit]] requirements and only accept mid-career professionals.<ref name="Kaplan_2018" />

=== Doctor of Business Administration ===
{{Main|Doctor of Business Administration}}

The [[Doctor of Business Administration]] (DBA or DrBA) is a research doctorate awarded based on advanced study and research in the field of business administration. The DBA is a terminal degree in business administration and is equivalent to the Ph.D. in Business Administration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.html|title=Structure of U.S. Education|publisher=U.S. Department of Education|date=2008|accessdate=15 November 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028042917/https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== PhD in Management ===
{{Main|PhD in Management}}

The [[PhD in Management]] is the highest academic degree awarded in the study of business management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best MBA, PGDM Colleges in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh {{!}} PHD in Management |url=https://www.vidya.edu.in/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=www.vidya.edu.in |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615063609/https://www.vidya.edu.in/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The degree is intended for those seeking academic research- and teaching-careers as faculty or professors in the study of management at business schools worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Cornell |title=PhD in Management Program |url=https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/phd-program/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Cornell Johnson |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615063611/https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/phd-program/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Doctor of Management ===
{{Main|Doctor of Management}}

A newer form of a management doctorate is the [[Doctor of Management]] (D.M., D.Mgt., DBA, or DMan). It is a [[doctoral degree]] conferred upon an individual who is trained through advanced study and research in the applied science and professional practice of [[management]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doctor of Management (DMgt) Masters Degree Course - Cardiff Metropolitan University |url=https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/management/courses/Pages/Doctor-of-Management-DMan.aspx |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=www.cardiffmet.ac.uk |language=en |archive-date=2024-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106011048/https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/management/courses/Pages/Doctor-of-Management-DMan.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> This doctorate incorporates elements of both research and practice related to social and managerial concerns within society and organizations.
== See also ==
* [[Bachelor of Business Information Systems]]
* [[Outline of business administration]]
* [[Business economics]]
* [[Business informatics]]
* [[Business studies]]
* [[List of business journals]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}
{{Management}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Business management| ]]

Smit Machchhar

2026-09-30T19:31:35Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|Indian commercial airline pilot}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Smit Machchhar
| image = Smit Machchhar.png
| occupation = Airline pilot
| employer = [[Flydubai]]
| years_active = 2011–present
}}

'''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot and captain with [[Flydubai]]. He previously worked for [[SpiceJet]], where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown [[Boeing 737]] aircraft.<ref name="HT">{{cite news |title=Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stabbed-flydubai-pilot-indian-national-smit-machchhar-was-former-spicejet-employee-dubai-tel-aviv-saudi-101790775056727.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the captain of [[Flydubai Flight 1073]], which was diverted to [[Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia, after an altercation between the two pilots during a flight from [[Dubai]] to [[Tel Aviv]]. Machchhar was injured during the incident and was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.<ref name="IE">{{cite news |title=Flydubai pilot stabbed in cockpit is Indian, flew with SpiceJet for 11 years before joining Dubai airline |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stabbed-copilot-tabuk-emergency-landing-10901221/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
[[File:Smit Machchhar (in flight).jpeg|thumb|220px|right]]
Machchhar is of Gujarati origin and is from [[Mumbai]].<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Outlook">{{cite news |title=Flydubai FZ1073: Indian National Captain Smit Machchhar Identified As Pilot Stabbed In Cockpit Incident |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/international/flydubai-fz1073-indian-national-captain-smit-machchhar-identified-as-pilot-stabbed-in-cockpit-incident |work=[[Outlook India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

He studied [[business administration]] at the [[Welingkar Institute of Management]] from June 2007 to April 2008 and received a bachelor's degree in the subject.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flying career==

Machchhar joined [[SpiceJet]] in June 2011. He worked for the airline for about 11 years, based in Mumbai, and became a senior commander. In November 2020, he became a line training captain, a position in which he trained and checked other pilots.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="TOI">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight drama: How Indian pilot Smit Machchhar stopped Omani co-pilot from crashing plane |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/flydubai-flight-drama-how-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stopped-omani-co-pilot-from-crashing-plane/articleshow/134597514.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

His work at SpiceJet included pilot training and mentoring, pilot assessment, [[crew resource management]], flight standards and compliance, and operations involving Boeing 737 aircraft.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="TOI"/>

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar logged more than 9,500 hours of flying, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="BT">{{cite news |title=Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid-air emergency |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/smit-machchhar-former-spicejet-pilot-at-the-centre-of-flydubai-mid-air-emergency-558914-2026-09-30 |work=[[Business Today (India)|Business Today]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar joined [[Flydubai]] in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. He has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet, including the 737-800 and [[Boeing 737 MAX]] 8 and 9. By September 2026, his flying experience was listed at about 9,750 hours and more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Week">{{cite news |title=Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/30/smit-machchhar-flydubai-pilot-spiceject-hijack-scare-israel-uae-saudi.html |work=[[The Week]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar's professional work has included mentoring and assessing pilots, with a focus on safety, compliance and flight operations. He had also expressed an interest in moving into pilot training at flydubai.<ref name="BT"/>

==Flydubai Flight 1073 incident==

{{main|Flydubai Flight 1073}}

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in [[Tel Aviv]]. The aircraft was registered as A6-FKF.<ref name="BT"/>

More than two hours into the flight, an altercation occurred between Machchhar and the other pilot in the flight deck. The aircraft subsequently transmitted emergency signals and entered a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data showed that it lost about 14,300 feet in 37 seconds, falling from an altitude of about 34,000 feet before the aircraft later diverted toward Saudi Arabia.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="BT"/>

The aircraft initially transmitted the international emergency transponder code 7700 and subsequently transmitted 7500, the code associated with unlawful interference.<ref name="BT"/><ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: passengers recount chaos on flydubai flight |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/pilot-brawl-then-rapid-descent-passengers-recount-chaos-flydubai-flight-2026-09-30/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar was stabbed during the confrontation. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Both pilots were taken to hospital after the landing, and Machchhar underwent surgery for his injuries. He was later reported to be in stable condition.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="i24">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar Undergoes Surgery After Cockpit Stabbing |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/artc-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar-undergoes-surgery-after-cockpit-stabbing |work=[[i24NEWS]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The other pilot was identified in Israeli and Indian reports as an Omani national. Israeli officials said that he attacked Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft. According to accounts reported by Reuters and the [[Associated Press]], passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit after the aircraft began its rapid descent and subdued the other pilot. Other pilots travelling on the flight subsequently helped operate the aircraft until it landed in Tabuk.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="AP">{{cite news |title=What to know about the terrifying FlyDubai flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia |url=https://apnews.com/article/a71ea8173678705fb1895539b6e4eb24 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The precise sequence of events during the cockpit confrontation was not immediately established. Flydubai described the event as an incident that occurred while the aircraft was en route and said that the underlying reasons and motives were subject to investigation.<ref name="BT"/>

Israeli officials subsequently said that they were investigating the possibility that the other pilot had deliberately attempted to crash the aircraft. An Israeli official initially told Reuters that the incident was not believed to be a conventional hijacking. The motive for the confrontation remained unclear in the initial investigation.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="TOI2">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight scare: Was it a terror plot? What we know and don't know |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/flydubai-flight-scare-was-it-a-terror-plot-what-we-know-and-dont-know/amp_articleshow/134598874.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The aircraft carried more than 170 passengers and crew members. All passengers and crew were accounted for after the aircraft landed in Tabuk.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="AP"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Flydubai people]]
[[Category:SpiceJet people]]

File:Smit Machchhar (in flight).jpeg

2026-09-30T19:28:37Z

BellaCH: Indian commercial airline pilot and captain with Flydubai.

== Summary ==
Indian commercial airline pilot and captain with Flydubai.

Smit Machchhar

2026-09-30T19:14:27Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|Indian commercial airline pilot}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Smit Machchhar
| image = Smit Machchhar.png
| occupation = Airline pilot
| employer = [[Flydubai]]
| years_active = 2011–present
}}

'''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot and captain with [[Flydubai]]. He previously worked for [[SpiceJet]], where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown [[Boeing 737]] aircraft.<ref name="HT">{{cite news |title=Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stabbed-flydubai-pilot-indian-national-smit-machchhar-was-former-spicejet-employee-dubai-tel-aviv-saudi-101790775056727.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the captain of [[Flydubai Flight 1073]], which was diverted to [[Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia, after an altercation between the two pilots during a flight from [[Dubai]] to [[Tel Aviv]]. Machchhar was injured during the incident and was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.<ref name="IE">{{cite news |title=Flydubai pilot stabbed in cockpit is Indian, flew with SpiceJet for 11 years before joining Dubai airline |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stabbed-copilot-tabuk-emergency-landing-10901221/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

==Early life and education==

Machchhar is of Gujarati origin and is from [[Mumbai]].<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Outlook">{{cite news |title=Flydubai FZ1073: Indian National Captain Smit Machchhar Identified As Pilot Stabbed In Cockpit Incident |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/international/flydubai-fz1073-indian-national-captain-smit-machchhar-identified-as-pilot-stabbed-in-cockpit-incident |work=[[Outlook India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

He studied [[business administration]] at the [[Welingkar Institute of Management]] from June 2007 to April 2008 and received a bachelor's degree in the subject.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flying career==

Machchhar joined [[SpiceJet]] in June 2011. He worked for the airline for about 11 years, based in Mumbai, and became a senior commander. In November 2020, he became a line training captain, a position in which he trained and checked other pilots.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="TOI">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight drama: How Indian pilot Smit Machchhar stopped Omani co-pilot from crashing plane |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/flydubai-flight-drama-how-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stopped-omani-co-pilot-from-crashing-plane/articleshow/134597514.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

His work at SpiceJet included pilot training and mentoring, pilot assessment, [[crew resource management]], flight standards and compliance, and operations involving Boeing 737 aircraft.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="TOI"/>

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar logged more than 9,500 hours of flying, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="BT">{{cite news |title=Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid-air emergency |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/smit-machchhar-former-spicejet-pilot-at-the-centre-of-flydubai-mid-air-emergency-558914-2026-09-30 |work=[[Business Today (India)|Business Today]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar joined [[Flydubai]] in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. He has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet, including the 737-800 and [[Boeing 737 MAX]] 8 and 9. By September 2026, his flying experience was listed at about 9,750 hours and more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Week">{{cite news |title=Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/30/smit-machchhar-flydubai-pilot-spiceject-hijack-scare-israel-uae-saudi.html |work=[[The Week]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar's professional work has included mentoring and assessing pilots, with a focus on safety, compliance and flight operations. He had also expressed an interest in moving into pilot training at flydubai.<ref name="BT"/>

==Flydubai Flight 1073 incident==

{{main|Flydubai Flight 1073}}

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in [[Tel Aviv]]. The aircraft was registered as A6-FKF.<ref name="BT"/>

More than two hours into the flight, an altercation occurred between Machchhar and the other pilot in the flight deck. The aircraft subsequently transmitted emergency signals and entered a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data showed that it lost about 14,300 feet in 37 seconds, falling from an altitude of about 34,000 feet before the aircraft later diverted toward Saudi Arabia.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="BT"/>

The aircraft initially transmitted the international emergency transponder code 7700 and subsequently transmitted 7500, the code associated with unlawful interference.<ref name="BT"/><ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: passengers recount chaos on flydubai flight |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/pilot-brawl-then-rapid-descent-passengers-recount-chaos-flydubai-flight-2026-09-30/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar was stabbed during the confrontation. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Both pilots were taken to hospital after the landing, and Machchhar underwent surgery for his injuries. He was later reported to be in stable condition.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="i24">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar Undergoes Surgery After Cockpit Stabbing |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/artc-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar-undergoes-surgery-after-cockpit-stabbing |work=[[i24NEWS]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The other pilot was identified in Israeli and Indian reports as an Omani national. Israeli officials said that he attacked Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft. According to accounts reported by Reuters and the [[Associated Press]], passengers and a crew member entered the cockpit after the aircraft began its rapid descent and subdued the other pilot. Other pilots travelling on the flight subsequently helped operate the aircraft until it landed in Tabuk.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="AP">{{cite news |title=What to know about the terrifying FlyDubai flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia |url=https://apnews.com/article/a71ea8173678705fb1895539b6e4eb24 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The precise sequence of events during the cockpit confrontation was not immediately established. Flydubai described the event as an incident that occurred while the aircraft was en route and said that the underlying reasons and motives were subject to investigation.<ref name="BT"/>

Israeli officials subsequently said that they were investigating the possibility that the other pilot had deliberately attempted to crash the aircraft. An Israeli official initially told Reuters that the incident was not believed to be a conventional hijacking. The motive for the confrontation remained unclear in the initial investigation.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="TOI2">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight scare: Was it a terror plot? What we know and don't know |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/flydubai-flight-scare-was-it-a-terror-plot-what-we-know-and-dont-know/amp_articleshow/134598874.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The aircraft carried more than 170 passengers and crew members. All passengers and crew were accounted for after the aircraft landed in Tabuk.<ref name="Reuters"/><ref name="AP"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Flydubai people]]
[[Category:SpiceJet people]]

Smit Machchhar

2026-09-30T19:02:18Z

BellaCH:

{{Infobox person
| name = Smit Machchhar
| image = Smit Machchhar.png
| occupation = Airline pilot
| employer = [[Flydubai]]
| years_active = 2011–present
| known_for = [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] incident
}}

'''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with [[Flydubai]]. He previously worked for [[SpiceJet]], where he was a senior commander and later a line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown [[Boeing 737]] aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX variants.<ref name="HT">{{cite news |title=Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stabbed-flydubai-pilot-indian-national-smit-machchhar-was-former-spicejet-employee-dubai-tel-aviv-saudi-101790775056727.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar was the captain of [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] on September 30, 2026, when an altercation occurred in the flight deck during a flight from [[Dubai]] to [[Tel Aviv]]. The aircraft was diverted to [[Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia, after an emergency was declared. Machchhar and the other pilot were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.<ref name="IE">{{cite news |title=Flydubai pilot stabbed in cockpit is Indian, flew with SpiceJet for 11 years before joining Dubai airline |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stabbed-copilot-tabuk-emergency-landing-10901221/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

==Early career==

Machchhar joined SpiceJet in June 2011 and spent about 11 years with the airline. He became a senior commander and later worked as a line training captain, a role that involved training and checking pilots. He held the line training captain position from November 2020 until he left the airline in 2022.<ref name="HT"/>

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flying experience, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command. His experience included Boeing 737 aircraft and work related to pilot training, crew resource management and flight standards.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai==

Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. His professional profile lists more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and about 9,750 hours on Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft. More than 6,400 of his recorded flying hours were as pilot in command.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Week">{{cite news |title=Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/30/smit-machchhar-flydubai-pilot-spiceject-hijack-scare-israel-uae-saudi.html |work=[[The Week (India)|The Week]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

At flydubai, Machchhar has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet. His earlier experience as a line training captain at SpiceJet included the training and checking of other pilots.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai Flight 1073 incident==
{{main|Flydubai Flight 1073}}
On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was operating from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in Tel Aviv. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after incident on board |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/09/30/flight-to-tel-aviv-diverted-after-emergency-signal-activated/ |work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

An altercation occurred in the flight deck while the aircraft was en route. Flydubai said that the aircraft was subsequently secured by on-duty crew members travelling on the flight and diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The airline said that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.<ref name="Gulf">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Explains Flight Deck Altercation Behind Emergency Diversion to Tabuk, All Passengers Safe |url=https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-to-israel-reports-incident-lands-safely-passengers-safe-1.500693143 |work=[[Gulf News]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Flight-tracking data showed a rapid loss of altitude during the flight. The aircraft later transmitted emergency signals, including a transponder code associated with unlawful interference. It subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where both pilots were taken to hospital.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

Machchhar sustained stab wounds during the incident and underwent surgery after the aircraft landed. Reports on September 30 said that he was in stable condition following treatment.<ref name="i24">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar Undergoes Surgery After Cockpit Stabbing |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/artc-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar-undergoes-surgery-after-cockpit-stabbing |work=[[i24NEWS]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The other pilot was an Omani national. Israeli officials and several news organisations reported that the confrontation involved an attempt to take control of the aircraft. Reuters reported that passengers, assisted by a crew member, entered the cockpit and subdued the other pilot before the aircraft was landed by another set of pilots.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Passengers overcame pilot who tried to crash flydubai flight, Israel says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The circumstances and motive behind the confrontation remained under investigation. Flydubai initially described the event as an incident while the aircraft was en route and said that it was working with the relevant authorities.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

==Personal life==

Machchhar is based in Dubai and is from [[Mumbai]]. His brother is also a commercial pilot and works for [[Akasa Air]].<ref name="HT"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

File:Smit Machchhar.png

2026-09-30T19:01:38Z

BellaCH: Smit Machchhar, Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with Flydubai.

== Summary ==
Smit Machchhar, Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with Flydubai.

Smit Machchhar

2026-09-30T18:57:06Z

BellaCH: /* Flydubai Flight 1073 incident */ Main article link

{{Infobox person
| name = Smit Machchhar
| occupation = Airline pilot
| employer = [[Flydubai]]
| years_active = 2011–present
| known_for = [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] incident
}}

'''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with [[Flydubai]]. He previously worked for [[SpiceJet]], where he was a senior commander and later a line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown [[Boeing 737]] aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX variants.<ref name="HT">{{cite news |title=Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stabbed-flydubai-pilot-indian-national-smit-machchhar-was-former-spicejet-employee-dubai-tel-aviv-saudi-101790775056727.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar was the captain of [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] on September 30, 2026, when an altercation occurred in the flight deck during a flight from [[Dubai]] to [[Tel Aviv]]. The aircraft was diverted to [[Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia, after an emergency was declared. Machchhar and the other pilot were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.<ref name="IE">{{cite news |title=Flydubai pilot stabbed in cockpit is Indian, flew with SpiceJet for 11 years before joining Dubai airline |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stabbed-copilot-tabuk-emergency-landing-10901221/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

==Early career==

Machchhar joined SpiceJet in June 2011 and spent about 11 years with the airline. He became a senior commander and later worked as a line training captain, a role that involved training and checking pilots. He held the line training captain position from November 2020 until he left the airline in 2022.<ref name="HT"/>

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flying experience, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command. His experience included Boeing 737 aircraft and work related to pilot training, crew resource management and flight standards.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai==

Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. His professional profile lists more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and about 9,750 hours on Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft. More than 6,400 of his recorded flying hours were as pilot in command.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Week">{{cite news |title=Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/30/smit-machchhar-flydubai-pilot-spiceject-hijack-scare-israel-uae-saudi.html |work=[[The Week (India)|The Week]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

At flydubai, Machchhar has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet. His earlier experience as a line training captain at SpiceJet included the training and checking of other pilots.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai Flight 1073 incident==
{{main|Flydubai Flight 1073}}
On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was operating from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in Tel Aviv. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after incident on board |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/09/30/flight-to-tel-aviv-diverted-after-emergency-signal-activated/ |work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

An altercation occurred in the flight deck while the aircraft was en route. Flydubai said that the aircraft was subsequently secured by on-duty crew members travelling on the flight and diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The airline said that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.<ref name="Gulf">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Explains Flight Deck Altercation Behind Emergency Diversion to Tabuk, All Passengers Safe |url=https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-to-israel-reports-incident-lands-safely-passengers-safe-1.500693143 |work=[[Gulf News]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Flight-tracking data showed a rapid loss of altitude during the flight. The aircraft later transmitted emergency signals, including a transponder code associated with unlawful interference. It subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where both pilots were taken to hospital.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

Machchhar sustained stab wounds during the incident and underwent surgery after the aircraft landed. Reports on September 30 said that he was in stable condition following treatment.<ref name="i24">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar Undergoes Surgery After Cockpit Stabbing |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/artc-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar-undergoes-surgery-after-cockpit-stabbing |work=[[i24NEWS]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The other pilot was an Omani national. Israeli officials and several news organisations reported that the confrontation involved an attempt to take control of the aircraft. Reuters reported that passengers, assisted by a crew member, entered the cockpit and subdued the other pilot before the aircraft was landed by another set of pilots.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Passengers overcame pilot who tried to crash flydubai flight, Israel says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The circumstances and motive behind the confrontation remained under investigation. Flydubai initially described the event as an incident while the aircraft was en route and said that it was working with the relevant authorities.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

==Personal life==

Machchhar is based in Dubai and is from [[Mumbai]]. His brother is also a commercial pilot and works for [[Akasa Air]].<ref name="HT"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

Smit Machchhar

2026-09-30T18:56:40Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Infobox person | name = Smit Machchhar | occupation = Airline pilot | employer = Flydubai | years_active = 2011–present | known_for = Flydubai Flight 1073 incident }} '''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with Flydubai. He previously worked for SpiceJet, where he was a senior commander and later a line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as..."

{{Infobox person
| name = Smit Machchhar
| occupation = Airline pilot
| employer = [[Flydubai]]
| years_active = 2011–present
| known_for = [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] incident
}}

'''Smit Machchhar''' is an Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with [[Flydubai]]. He previously worked for [[SpiceJet]], where he was a senior commander and later a line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown [[Boeing 737]] aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX variants.<ref name="HT">{{cite news |title=Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stabbed-flydubai-pilot-indian-national-smit-machchhar-was-former-spicejet-employee-dubai-tel-aviv-saudi-101790775056727.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Machchhar was the captain of [[Flydubai Flight 1073]] on September 30, 2026, when an altercation occurred in the flight deck during a flight from [[Dubai]] to [[Tel Aviv]]. The aircraft was diverted to [[Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia, after an emergency was declared. Machchhar and the other pilot were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.<ref name="IE">{{cite news |title=Flydubai pilot stabbed in cockpit is Indian, flew with SpiceJet for 11 years before joining Dubai airline |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-stabbed-copilot-tabuk-emergency-landing-10901221/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

==Early career==

Machchhar joined SpiceJet in June 2011 and spent about 11 years with the airline. He became a senior commander and later worked as a line training captain, a role that involved training and checking pilots. He held the line training captain position from November 2020 until he left the airline in 2022.<ref name="HT"/>

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flying experience, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command. His experience included Boeing 737 aircraft and work related to pilot training, crew resource management and flight standards.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai==

Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. His professional profile lists more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and about 9,750 hours on Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft. More than 6,400 of his recorded flying hours were as pilot in command.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="Week">{{cite news |title=Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/30/smit-machchhar-flydubai-pilot-spiceject-hijack-scare-israel-uae-saudi.html |work=[[The Week (India)|The Week]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

At flydubai, Machchhar has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet. His earlier experience as a line training captain at SpiceJet included the training and checking of other pilots.<ref name="HT"/>

==Flydubai Flight 1073 incident==

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was operating from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]] in Tel Aviv. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National">{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after incident on board |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/09/30/flight-to-tel-aviv-diverted-after-emergency-signal-activated/ |work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

An altercation occurred in the flight deck while the aircraft was en route. Flydubai said that the aircraft was subsequently secured by on-duty crew members travelling on the flight and diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The airline said that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.<ref name="Gulf">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Explains Flight Deck Altercation Behind Emergency Diversion to Tabuk, All Passengers Safe |url=https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/flydubai-flight-to-israel-reports-incident-lands-safely-passengers-safe-1.500693143 |work=[[Gulf News]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

Flight-tracking data showed a rapid loss of altitude during the flight. The aircraft later transmitted emergency signals, including a transponder code associated with unlawful interference. It subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where both pilots were taken to hospital.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

Machchhar sustained stab wounds during the incident and underwent surgery after the aircraft landed. Reports on September 30 said that he was in stable condition following treatment.<ref name="i24">{{cite news |title=Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar Undergoes Surgery After Cockpit Stabbing |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/artc-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar-undergoes-surgery-after-cockpit-stabbing |work=[[i24NEWS]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The other pilot was an Omani national. Israeli officials and several news organisations reported that the confrontation involved an attempt to take control of the aircraft. Reuters reported that passengers, assisted by a crew member, entered the cockpit and subdued the other pilot before the aircraft was landed by another set of pilots.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Passengers overcame pilot who tried to crash flydubai flight, Israel says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref>

The circumstances and motive behind the confrontation remained under investigation. Flydubai initially described the event as an incident while the aircraft was en route and said that it was working with the relevant authorities.<ref name="HT"/><ref name="National"/>

==Personal life==

Machchhar is based in Dubai and is from [[Mumbai]]. His brother is also a commercial pilot and works for [[Akasa Air]].<ref name="HT"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

Flydubai Flight 1073

2026-09-30T15:26:37Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Short description|2026 aviation incident in Saudi Arabia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2026}} {{Current event|date=September 2026}} {{Infobox aircraft occurrence | date = {{Start date|2026|09|30|df=y}} | image = A6-FMP @ DXB, 2022-03-25.jpg | caption = A Boeing 737 MAX 8, similar to the aircraft involved | summary = In-flight emergency, diverted | site = Saudi Arabian airspace, near the Jordanian bor..."

{{Short description|2026 aviation incident in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2026}}
{{Current event|date=September 2026}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| date = {{Start date|2026|09|30|df=y}}
| image = A6-FMP @ DXB, 2022-03-25.jpg
| caption = A [[Boeing 737 MAX|Boeing 737 MAX 8]], similar to the aircraft involved
| summary = In-flight emergency, diverted
| site = Saudi Arabian airspace, near the Jordanian border; landed in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]]
| aircraft_type = [[Boeing 737 MAX|Boeing 737 MAX 8]]
| operator = [[Flydubai]]
| tail_number = A6-FKF
| IATA = FZ1073
| ICAO = FDB1073
| callsign = SKYDUBAI 1073
| origin = [[Dubai International Airport]], [[Dubai]], United Arab Emirates
| destination = [[Ben Gurion Airport]], [[Tel Aviv]], Israel
| occupants = 180
| passengers = 174
| crew = 6
| fatalities = 0
| injuries = 1+
| survivors = 180
}}
'''Flydubai Flight 1073''' ('''FZ1073/FDB1073''') was a scheduled international passenger of flight operated by [[Flydubai]] from [[Dubai International Airport]] to [[Ben Gurion Airport]]. On 30 September 2026, the [[Boeing 737 MAX 8]] broadcast a general emergency code followed by a hijack squawk code, diverted from its flight path, and landed safely in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]], Saudi Arabia. The incident prompted the [[Israeli Air Force]] to scramble fighter jets. Israeli officials initially stated that it was a planned hijacking that was prevented.

== Incident ==
The aircraft, a [[Boeing 737 MAX 8]] with the registration A6-FKF, departed from Dubai at 7:05 a.m. ([[Gulf Standard Time|GST]]) carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.<ref name="ynet">{{cite news |last1=Ben Kimon |first1=Elisha |last2=Lifshitz-Kliger |first2=Iris |last3=Eichner |first3=Itamar |last4=Tamari |first4=Liran |title=מכות בין הטייסים: מטוס מדובאי לנתב"ג דיווח על חשש לחטיפה ונחת בסעודיה |trans-title=Fistfight between the pilots: A flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport reported a suspected hijacking and landed in Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sjc00c7q5gx |work=[[Ynet]] |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref> While flying near the border between Saudi Arabia and Jordan, the aircraft's [[transponder (aeronautics)|transponder]] broadcast squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and shortly thereafter broadcast code 7500, which designates "unlawful interference" or a hijacking.<ref name="toi">{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Emanuel |title=Hijacking ruled out as flydubai flight to Tel Aviv that declared emergency lands at Saudi airport |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hijacking-ruled-out-as-flydubai-flight-to-tel-aviv-lands-at-saudi-airport/ |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref> The aircraft turned back into Saudi Arabian airspace; according to public flight tracking data, it rapidly descended from an altitude of approximately 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in less than a minute.<ref name="zman">{{cite news |title=תוך פחות מדקה המטוס צלל מגובה של 34 אלף רגל לכ־17 אלף רגל: כל מה שידוע עד כה על טיסת "פליי דובאי" |trans-title=In less than a minute the plane dived from 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet: Everything known so far about the Flydubai flight |url=https://www.zman.co.il/live/728948/ |work=Zman Yisrael |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-09-30 |title=What we know about the flydubai plane incident |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/what-we-know-about-the-flydubai-plane-incident/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> Israeli authorities were briefly unable to establish contact with the flight. Communication was restored shortly after, and the plane landed safely at [[Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport]] in [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]], in northwestern Saudi Arabia.<ref name="zman"/><ref name="toi"/>

Based on initial assessments, videos, and eyewitness accounts from passengers, it appears that a fight broke out between the two pilots. The first officer stabbed the captain and allegedly attempted to crash or hijack the aircraft. Israeli passengers managed to overpower and restrain him, while a group of off-duty pilots who happened to be on board successfully landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.<ref name=toi2>{{Cite news |date=2026-09-30 |title=Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/copilot-subdued-after-stabbing-pilot-in-alleged-attempt-to-crash-plane-full-of-israelis/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

Pictures of the plane taken after landing showed that its rudder was significantly damaged.<ref name=toi2 />

== Reactions ==
Upon receiving the code indicating a hijacking, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets. Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and Defense Minister [[Israel Katz]] held a security consultation, and IDF chief of staff [[Eyal Zamir]] held a situational assessment with the commander of the Air Force and other senior military officials.<ref name="ynet"/><ref name="toi"/> Some Israeli sources said that there was no hijacking, and that the distress signals were likely triggered by a physical altercation between the pilots in the cockpit,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shalev |first1=Tal |last2=Diamond |first2=Jeremy |title=Flight to Israel diverted after pilot broadcasts emergency signal, sources |url=https://abc17news.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2026/09/30/flight-to-israel-diverted-after-pilot-broadcasts-emergency-signal-sources/ |work=[[CNN]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="zman"/> while others claimed it was an attempted terrorist attack.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cornwell |first=Alexander |last2=Amichay |first2=Rami |last3=Cornwell |first3=Alexander |date=2026-09-30 |title=Israeli officials say diverted flydubai incident may be attempted 'terror attack' |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/ |access-date=2026-09-30 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

In an official statement, Flydubai confirmed that an "incident" had occurred during the flight, noting that the plane landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were secure. The airline added that further updates would be provided once verified details became available.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia amid reports of pilot fight |url=https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/flydubai-fz1073-diverts-saudi-arabia-7500-code |work=AeroTime |date=30 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="פליי דובאי": לכל הנוסעים שהיו על הטיסה מדובאי לישראל - שלום |trans-title="Flydubai": All passengers on the flight from Dubai to Israel are safe |url=https://www.zman.co.il/live/728939/ |work=Zman Yisrael |date=30 September 2026 |language=he}}</ref> The company also announced it would send two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to fly the passengers to Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv veers off course, lands in Saudi Arabia after hijacking scare |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-910155 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=30 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayashi |first=Erika |date=30 September 2026 |title=Updates on FZ 1073 DXB-TLV on 30 September 2026 |url=https://news.flydubai.com/updates-on-fz-1073-dxb-tlv-on-30-september-2026 |website=FlyDubai |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2026}}

[[Category:2026 in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:September 2026 in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2026]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Israel–Saudi Arabia relations]]
[[Category:Israel–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates relations]]
[[Category:Tabuk, Saudi Arabia]]

FATF greylist

2026-09-15T08:00:19Z

BellaCH: Redirected page to Financial Action Task Force blacklist

#REDIRECT [[Financial Action Task Force blacklist]]

Terrorism financing

2026-09-15T07:59:58Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Short description|Providing financial support to individual terrorists or terrorist organizations}} {{terrorism}} '''Terrorism financing''' is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual terrorists or non-state actors.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Financial Weapons of War|first=Tom C. W.|last=Lin|date=14 April 2016|ssrn = 2765010 |journal=Minnesota Law Review |volume=100}}</ref> Most countries have implemented measures to '''counter terror..."

{{Short description|Providing financial support to individual terrorists or terrorist organizations}}

{{terrorism}}
'''Terrorism financing''' is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual [[terrorist]]s or [[non-state actor]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Financial Weapons of War|first=Tom C. W.|last=Lin|date=14 April 2016|ssrn = 2765010 |journal=Minnesota Law Review |volume=100}}</ref>

Most countries have implemented measures to '''counter terrorism financing''' (CTF) often as part of their [[money laundering]] laws. Some countries and multinational organisations have created a list of organisations that they regard as [[terrorist organisation]]s, though there is no consistency as to which organisations are designated as being terrorist by each country. The [[Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering]] (FATF) has made recommendations to members relating to CTF. It has created a [[FATF Blacklist|Blacklist and Greylist]] of countries that have not taken adequate CTF/[[Anti–money laundering|AML]] action.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Black and grey" lists |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/black-and-grey-lists.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260331230909/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/black-and-grey-lists.html |archive-date=2026-03-31 |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org |language=en}}</ref> As of 3 April 2026, the [[FATF blacklist#Current FAFT blacklist|FATF blacklist]] (High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action) listed three countries for AML deficits and terrorism financing: [[North Korea]], [[Iran]] and [[Myanmar]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action - 13 February 2026 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-february-2026.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260403144947/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-february-2026.html |archive-date=2026-04-03 |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org |language=en}}</ref> The [[FATF blacklist#Current FATF greylist|FATF greylist]] (Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring) currently consists of 22 countries: [[Algeria]], [[Angola]], [[Bolivia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Cameroon]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Haiti]], [[Kenya]], [[Kuwait]], [[Laos]], [[Lebanon]], [[Monaco]], [[Namibia]], [[Nepal]], [[Papua New Guinea]], [[South Sudan]], [[Syria]], [[Venezuela]], [[Vietnam]], [[Virgin Islands]] and [[Yemen]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 13 February 2026 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2026.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260326104838/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2026.html |archive-date=2026-03-26 |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org |language=en}}</ref> In general, the supply of funds to designated terrorist organisations is outlawed, though the enforcement varies.

Initially, the focus of CTF efforts was on non-profit organizations, unregistered [[money services business]]es (MSBs) (including so-called underground banking or ‘[[Hawala]]s’) and the criminalisation of the act itself.

== Methods used for terrorism funding ==
A number of countries and multinational organisations maintain lists of organisations that they designate as [[terrorist organisation]]s, though there is no consistency as to which organisations are so designated. In the United States, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control ([[Office of Foreign Assets Control|OFAC]]) maintains such a list. Financial transactions that benefit the designated terrorist organisations are usually outlawed.

Designated terrorist organisations may adopt a variety of strategies to get past efforts to prevent such funding. For example, they may make multiple smaller-value transfers in an attempt to bypass scrutiny; or they may use people who have no criminal backgrounds to complete financial transactions to try to make fund transfers harder to track. These transactions may also be disguised as donations to charities<ref name="Ridley 38–57">{{Cite journal|last1=Ridley|first1=Nicholas|last2=Alexander|first2=Dean C.|date=2011-12-30|title=Combating terrorist financing in the first decade of the twenty-first century|journal=Journal of Money Laundering Control|volume=15|issue=1|pages=38–57|doi=10.1108/13685201211194727|issn=1368-5201}}</ref> or as gifts to family members. Countries are not able to combat terrorism on their own, as corporate actors are needed to scan financial transactions themselves. If corporate actors do not comply with the state then penalties or regulatory sanctions may be applied.<ref name=":04"/>

Terrorists and terrorist organizations often use any resource of money they can have access to in order to fund themselves. This can range from the distribution of narcotics, black market oil, having businesses such as car dealerships, taxi companies, etc. [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]] is known to use black market oil distribution as a means of funding their terrorist activity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Clarke|first=Colin|date=Fall 2016|title=Drugs & thugs: Funding terrorism through narcotics trafficking.|journal=Journal of Strategic Security|volume=9|issue=3|pages=1–15|doi=10.5038/1944-0472.9.3.1536|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The internet is a growing modern form of terrorist finance as it is able to protect the anonymity that it can provide to the donor and recipient. Terrorist organizations use propaganda in order to rally up financial support from those who follow them. They are also able to find funds through criminal activity on the internet such as stealing online banking information from people who are not correlated to these terrorist organizations.<ref name="Ridley 38–57"/> Terrorist organizations also use the front of being a charity to finance themselves. [[Al-Qaeda]] is a known terrorist organization that has used the internet in order to finance their organization, as through this platform they are able to reach a wider audience.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jacobson|first=Michael|date=2010-03-15|title=Terrorist Financing and the Internet|journal=Studies in Conflict & Terrorism|language=en|volume=33|issue=4|pages=353–363|doi=10.1080/10576101003587184|issn=1057-610X|doi-access=}}</ref>

=== Money laundering ===
{{Main|Money laundering}}
Often linked in legislation and regulation, terrorism financing and money laundering are conceptual opposites. Money laundering is the process where cash raised from criminal activities is made to look legitimate for re-integration into the financial system, whereas terrorism financing cares little about the source of the funds, but it is what the funds are to be used for that defines its scope.

An in-depth study of the symbiotic relationship between [[organised crime in the United States|organized crime]] and terrorist organizations detected within the United States and other countries referred to as crime-terror nexus points has been published in the forensic literature.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Makarenko|first=T|title=The Crime-Terror Continuum: Tracing the Interplay between Transnational Organized|journal=Global Crime|volume=6|issue=1|pages=129－145|doi=10.1080/1744057042000297025|s2cid=32829413}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Makarenko|first=T|title=Crime, Terror, and the Central Asian Drug Trade|journal=Harvard Asia Quarterly|year=2002|volume=6|issue=3|pages=1－24}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Makarenko|first=T|title=A model of terrorist-criminal relations|journal=Jane's Intelligence Review|year=2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Wang|first=Peng|title=The Crime-Terror Nexus: Transformation, Alliance, Convergence|journal=Asian Social Science|year=2010|volume=6|issue=6|pages=11–20|doi=10.5539/ass.v6n6p11|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Cornell|first=S|title=The narcotics threat in greater Central Asia: from crime-terror nexus to state infiltration? |journal=China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly |year=2006 |volume=4 |issue=1|pages=37–67}}</ref> The Perri, Lichtenwald and MacKenzie article emphasizes the importance of multi-agency working groups and the tools that can be used to identify, infiltrate, and dismantle organizations operating along the crime-terror nexus points.

Bulk cash smuggling and placement through cash-intensive businesses is one typology. They are now also moving money through the new online payment systems. They also use trade-linked schemes to launder money. Nonetheless, the older systems have not given way. Terrorists also continue to move money through MSBs/[[Hawala]]s, and through international ATM transactions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wheatley |first1=Joseph |title=Ancient Banking, Modern Crimes: How Hawala Secretly Transfers the Finances of Criminals and Thwarts Existing Laws |journal=University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law |date=June 2005 |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=347–378 |url=https://www.law.upenn.edu/journals/jil/articles/volume26/issue2/Wheatley26U.Pa.J.Int%27lEcon.L.347%282005%29.pdf |archive-date=2020-09-13 |access-date=2019-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913023555/https://www.law.upenn.edu/journals/jil/articles/volume26/issue2/Wheatley26U.Pa.J.Int%27lEcon.L.347%282005%29.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Charities also continue to be used in countries where controls are not so stringent.

Said and Cherif Kouachi, before the [[Charlie Hebdo shooting]] in Paris, France in 2015, used transaction laundering to fund their activities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.finextra.com/blogposting/13558/when-transaction-laundering-finances-terror|title=When Transaction Laundering Finances Terror|date=2017-01-17|website=Finextra Research|language=en|access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://evercompliant.com/transaction-laundering-new-advanced-form-money-laundering/|title=Transaction Laundering is the New, Advanced form of Money Laundering|date=2017-01-23|website=EverCompliant|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref> Examples included reselling [[Counterfeit consumer goods|counterfeit goods]] and [[Illegal drug trade|drugs]].<blockquote>"This chain of funding shows a clear correlation between transaction laundering and terrorism, using legitimate marketplaces to conduct illegal activity (in this case, selling counterfeit shoes) and then using the proceeds to launder money for terrorists."</blockquote>

=== Preventing funding of terrorism ===
AML and CTF both carry the notion of [[Know your customer|Know Your Customer]] (KYC), this entails financial organizations to have in-person identification and to observe the lawfulness of the transaction in question. Although this methodology is not favoured by banks, lawyers or other professionals who are able to see the transaction of money or legal aid occurring, because of the business and client relationship that can be hurt through the process of personal identification. This can damage relationships between long-term clients who need to prove their identity, and respected members of society do not want to be asked for personal identification every time.<ref name=":04"/><ref>{{Citation|chapter=Terror Financing|date=2015-10-10|pages=131–141|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|isbn=9781119200604|doi=10.1002/9781119200604.ch7|title=Money Laundering Prevention}}</ref>

The [[Financial Action Task Force blacklist|FATF Blacklist]] (the Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories list) mechanism was used to coerce countries to bring about change.

=== Suspicious activity ===
[[Operation Green Quest]], a US multi-agency task force established in October 2001 with the official purpose of countering terrorism financing considers the following patterns of activity as indicators of the collection and movement of funds that could be associated with terrorism financing:

* Account transactions that are inconsistent with past deposits or withdrawals such as cash, [[cheque]]s, [[wire transfer]]s, etc.
* Transactions involving a high volume of incoming or outgoing wire transfers, with no logical or apparent purpose that come from, go to, or transit through locations of concern, that is sanctioned countries, non-cooperative nations and sympathizer nations.
* Unexplainable clearing or negotiation of third party cheques and their deposits in foreign bank accounts.
* Structuring at multiple branches or the same branch with multiple activities.
* Corporate layering, transfers between bank accounts of related entities or charities for no apparent reasons.
* Wire transfers by charitable organisations to companies located in countries known to be banks or [[tax haven]]s.
* Lack of apparent [[fundraising]] activity, for example, a lack of small cheques or typical donations associated with charitable bank deposits.
* Using multiple accounts to collect funds that are then transferred to the same foreign beneficiaries
* Transactions with no logical economic purpose, that is, no link between the activity of the organization and other parties involved in the transaction.
* Overlapping corporate officers, bank signatories, or other identifiable similarities associated with addresses, references and financial activities.
* Cash debiting schemes in which deposits in the US correlate directly with [[ATM]] withdrawals in countries of concern. Reverse transactions of this nature are also suspicious.
* Issuing cheques, money orders or other [[financial instruments]], often numbered sequentially, to the same person or business, or to a person or business whose name is spelled similarly.

It would be difficult to determine by such activity alone whether the particular act was related to terrorism or to [[organized crime]]. For this reason, these activities must be examined in context with other factors in order to determine a terrorism financing connection. Simple transactions can be found to be suspect and money laundering derived from terrorism will typically involve instances in which simple operations had been performed (retail [[foreign exchange market|foreign exchange]] operations, international transfer of funds) revealing links with other countries including FATF blacklisted countries. Some of the customers may have [[Criminal record|police records]], particularly for trafficking in narcotics and weapons and may be linked with foreign terrorist groups. The funds may have moved through a [[State Sponsors of Terrorism|state sponsor of terrorism]] or a country where there is a terrorism problem. A link with a [[Politically exposed person]] (PEP) may ultimately link up to a terrorism financing transaction. A charity may be a link in the transaction. Accounts (especially students) that only receive periodic deposits withdrawn via ATM over two months and are dormant at other periods could indicate that they are becoming active to prepare for an attack.

== Nation specific actions ==

===Pakistan===
{{see also|The Establishment (Pakistan)|Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism|Inter-Services Intelligence activities in India|Inter-Services Intelligence activities in Afghanistan}}

As at 24 October 2019, Pakistan was on the [[FATF greylist]] for terrorism financing and has met only 5 of 27 action items, and it has been given four months to comply with the remaining action points for the prevention of terror financing.<ref name="PakGreylisted1">[https://www.brecorder.com/2019/10/22/536596/clear-warning-fatf-statement/ Clear warning: FATF statement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024081145/https://www.brecorder.com/2019/10/22/536596/clear-warning-fatf-statement/ |date=2019-10-24 }}, Business recorder, 22 October 2019.</ref><ref name="PakGreylisted2">[https://www.brecorder.com/2019/10/23/536867/the-fatf-tribulations/ The FATF tribulations], Business recorder, 23 October 2019.</ref> As of 2022 Pakistan is compliant on most of the action plan but continues to be on the list.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-unlikely-to-exit-grey-list-of-global-terror-funding-watchdog-until-june/article33861672.ece|title=Pakistan unlikely to exit grey list of global terror funding watchdog until June|access-date=22 August 2021|work=The Hindu|date=17 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-to-stay-on-fatf-greylist/article34972900.ece|title=Pakistan to stay on FATF 'greylist' over failure to convict UNSC-designated terror leaders|access-date=22 August 2021|work=The Hindu|date=25 June 2021|last1=Haidar|first1=Suhasini}}</ref>

===Bahrain===
[[Bahrain]] has been regularly accused{{By whom|date=December 2024}} of doing very little to prevent the flow of funds for terrorism financing in other nations.

=== Saudi Arabia ===
Saudi Arabia has been accused of not doing enough to stop terrorism financing by private parties.<ref name="TerrorFinAccued1">[https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/qatar-saudi-arabia-uae-terrorism-middle-east-security-news-18271/ Qatar’s Links to Terrorism: The War of Narratives], Fair Observer, 21 October 2019.</ref>

A report by FATF highlighted serious deficiencies in Saudi Arabia's efforts to counter-terrorism. Terrorism financing budding in Saudi Arabia became an important source of funding for [[al-Qaeda]] and other terrorist organizations.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/saudi-arabia-still-isnt-doing-enough-to-fight-the-financing-of-terrorism/2019/02/19/bdb300d4-3454-11e9-a400-e481bf264fdc_story.html|title=Saudi Arabia still isn't doing enough to fight the financing of terrorism|access-date=19 February 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/mutualevaluations/documents/mer-saudi-arabia-2018.html |title=Saudi Arabia's measures to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref>

In a leaked classified memo, [[Hillary Clinton]] said that in 2009 the kingdom was a crucial source of funds to Sunni terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, the [[Taliban]] and [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] pointing to its intelligence incompetence.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-11923176|title=Wikileaks: Saudis 'chief funders of Sunni militants'|access-date=5 February 2010|work=BBC News}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[European Commission]] added Saudi Arabia, along with several other countries, to its blacklist list of states that have failed to control money laundering and terrorism financing. Saudi Arabia has been accused of not making enough effort to control the huge amounts of money being transferred to Islamist extremists and terrorist groups.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-saudi-arabia-dirty-money-terrorism-funding-blacklist-panama-nigeria-a8777676.html|title=EU adds Saudi Arabia to 'dirty money' blacklist in crackdown on terrorism financing|access-date=13 February 2019|newspaper=The Independent|date=2019-02-13}}</ref>

=== United Arab Emirates ===
Until its removal from the list in 2024, the [[United Arab Emirates]] had been accused by the FATF<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sun |first=Mengqi |date=2024-02-23 |title=U.A.E. Removed From Global Watch List for Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-a-e-removed-from-global-watch-list-for-money-laundering-terrorism-financing-b288e217 |access-date=2024-12-26 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> of being a financial hub for terrorist organisations.<ref name="TerrorFinAccued1"/> The [[Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project|OCCRP]] suggested that this might have been premature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Money Laundering Body Pledges to Probe OCCRP Findings on UAE |url=https://www.occrp.org/en/news/anti-money-laundering-body-pledges-to-probe-occrp-findings-on-uae |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202191611/https://www.occrp.org/en/news/anti-money-laundering-body-pledges-to-probe-occrp-findings-on-uae |archive-date=2024-12-02 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=OCCRP |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> Historically, the UAE banking system was found to be involved in the [[September 11 attacks|attacks on 11 September 2001]] against the [[United States]] carried out by [[al-Qaeda]]. The 9/11 terrorists had bank accounts in the UAE. Executing the attack cost the terrorist group around $400,000–500,000, out of which $300,000 was transacted via one of the hijackers’ bank accounts in the US. The movement of funds took place with the help of both public banking systems and the Al-Qaeda established [[Hawala]] networks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/uae-financial-and-transit-hub-of-911-terror_b_59b9d4a2e4b06b71800c36a5?guccounter=1|title=UAE: Financial and Transit Hub of 9/11 Terror|date=14 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2017|publisher=Huffpost}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/staff_statements/911_TerrFin_Monograph.pdf|title=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States - Monograph on Terrorist Financing|publisher=9/11 Commission}}</ref>

According to the [[9/11 Commission Report]], in response to concerns that the UAE banking system had been used by 9/11 hijackers to launder funds, the UAE adopted legislation giving the Central Bank in 2002 the power to freeze suspect accounts for 7 days without prior legal authorisation. The report stated, "banks have been advised to carefully monitor transactions passing through the UAE from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and are now subject to more stringent transaction and client reporting requirements."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/cs/profiles/UAE.pdf|title=COUNTRY PROFILE: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) |publisher=Library of Congress – Federal Research Division|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> The UAE government has since affirmed its stance and policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism financing.<ref>{{cite web|title=UAE calls for zero tolerance for all those who support terrorism financing
|url=https://www.un.int/uae/news/uae-calls-zero-tolerance-all-those-who-support-terrorism-financing|publisher=United Nations|access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref>

The US Treasury Department alleged a business network spread across the UAE, the Horn of Africa and Cyprus of laundering millions of dollars to al-Shabaab. The [[Office of Foreign Assets Control]] (OFAC) sanction 16 firms and individuals involved in the money laundering network. A key financial facilitator of al-Shabaab is Dubai-based Haleel Commodities L.L.C., along with its subsidiaries and branches in Uganda, Kenya, Somalia and Cyprus.<ref>{{cite news|title=Treasury Designates Transnational al-Shabaab Money Laundering Network |date=11 March 2024 |url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2168 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313214052/https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2168 |archive-date=13 March 2024 |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref>

==Legislation against terrorist financing==
The [[United States]] [[Patriot Act]], passed after the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, gives the US government anti-money laundering powers to monitor financial institutions. The Patriot Act has generated a [[USA PATRIOT Act#Controversy|great deal of controversy]] in the United States since its enactment. The United States has also collaborated with the United Nations and other countries to create the [[Terrorist Finance Tracking Program]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/eu-ups-its-fight-against-terrorist-financing/a-18903083|title=EU ups its fight against terrorist financing|work=DW.COM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/crisis-and-terrorism/tftp/index_en.htm|title=DGs - Migration and Home Affairs - What we do - ...Crisis & Terrorism - Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme|date=2016-12-06}}</ref>

Many initiatives have stemmed from the [[Patriot Act|USA PATRIOT Act]] such as the [[Financial Crimes Enforcement Network]], which focuses specifically on money laundering and financial crimes.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2017-03-01|title=Handbook on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism for Nonbank Financial Institutions|doi=10.22617/tim168550|doi-access=free |journal=[[Asian Development Bank]]}}</ref>

Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, also known as the USA PATRIOT Act, was also enacted in 2001. In 2009 the act aided in blocking around $20 million and another $280 million that came from [[State Sponsors of Terrorism (U.S. list)|State Sponsors of Terrorism]].<ref name=":04">{{Cite journal|last=Levi|first=M.|date=2010-05-17|title=Combating the Financing of Terrorism: A History and Assessment of the Control of 'Threat Finance'|journal=British Journal of Criminology|volume=50|issue=4|pages=650–669|doi=10.1093/bjc/azq025|issn=0007-0955}}</ref>

In 2020, Veit Buetterlin, who conducted investigations on-site in more than 20 countries and who was kidnapped in the course of his work, explained in an interview with [[CNN]] that the fight against terrorism financing will be an ongoing challenge (“it’s actually impossible to defeat a concept”). He noted that the world’s top 10 terrorist organizations have an estimated annual budget of USD 3.6 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.cnnmoney.ch/shows/living-markets/videos/fighting-war-against-terrorist-financing|title = Fighting the War Against Terrorist Financing - Cnnmoney.ch|date = 5 February 2022|access-date = 31 March 2020|archive-date = 14 January 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200114023049/https://www.cnnmoney.ch/shows/living-markets/videos/fighting-war-against-terrorist-financing|url-status = dead}}</ref>

=== Australia ===
[[Australia]]n anti-terrorism financing laws include:

* ''Criminal Code Act 1995'' (Cth):
** section 102.6 (getting funds to, from or for a terrorist organisation)
** section 102.7 (providing support to a terrorist organisation)
** section 103.1 (financing terrorism)
** section 103.2 (financing a terrorist), and
** section 119.4(5) (giving or receiving goods and services to promote the commission of a foreign incursion offence).<ref>{{cite web |title=Criminal Code Act |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cca1995115/sch1.html |website=www.austlii.edu.au |publisher=[[Australasian Legal Information Institute]] |access-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005065533/http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cca1995115/sch1.html |archive-date=October 5, 2017 |language=en-au |date=1995 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Charter of the United Nations Act 1945'' (Cth):
** section 20 (dealing with freezable assets), and
** section 21 (giving an asset to a proscribed person or entity).

These offences sanction persons and entities under Australian and international law.<ref>{{cite web |title=Charter of the United Nations Act |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cotuna1945288/ |website=www.austlii.edu.au |publisher=[[Australasian Legal Information Institute]] |access-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223031614/http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cotuna1945288/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |language=en |date=1945 |url-status=live}}</ref> The responsibility of prosecuting these offences in Australia rests with the [[Australian Federal Police]], State police forces and the [[Director of Public Prosecutions (Australia)|Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions]].

===Germany===
In July 2010, [[Germany]] outlawed the [[Internationale Humanitäre Hilfsorganisation e.V.|Internationale Humanitäre Hilfsorganisation]] (IHH), saying it has used donations to support projects in Gaza that are related to [[Hamas]], which is considered by the European Union to be a terrorist organization,<ref name="Hilfsorganisation">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3918670,00.html|title=Germany bans group accused of Hamas links|work=ynet|year=2010}}</ref><ref name="IHH"/> while presenting their activities to donors as humanitarian help. German Interior Minister [[Thomas de Maiziere]] said, "[[Donations]] to so-called social welfare groups belonging to Hamas, such as the millions given by IHH, actually support the terror organization Hamas as a whole."<ref name="Hilfsorganisation"/><ref name="IHH">{{cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/germany-outlaws-ihh-over-claimed-hamas-links-1.301483|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715065958/http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/germany-outlaws-charity-over-alleged-hamas-links-1.301483|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2010|title=Germany Outlaws Charity Over Alleged Hamas Links|work=Haaretz.com|date=2010-07-12}}</ref>

According to research conducted by the Abba Eban Institute as part of an initiative called Janus Initiative, Hezbollah is financed through non-profit organizations such as the “Orphans Project Lebanon”, a German-based charity for Lebanese orphans. It found that it had been donating portions of its contributions to a foundation which finances the families of Hezbollah members who commit suicide bombings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://janus-initiative.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Hezbollah%E2%80%99s-Threat-in-Germany.pdf|title=Janus Initiative Research}}</ref> The European Foundation for Democracy published that the “Orphans Project Lebanon” organization directly channels financial donations from Germany to the Lebanese Al-Shahid Association, which is part of the Hezbollah network and promotes suicide bombings in Lebanon, particularly among children. In Germany, financial donations to the Orphans Project Lebanon are tax-deductible and thus subsidized by the German State's tax policy.<ref>[https://europeandemocracy.eu/2009/07/efd-report-hezbollah-fundraising-in-germany-tax-deductible-2 EFD Report: Hezbollah fundraising in Germany tax-deductible] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006085944/https://europeandemocracy.eu/2009/07/efd-report-hezbollah-fundraising-in-germany-tax-deductible-2 |date=2019-10-06 }}, European Foundation for Democracy, July 13, 2009</ref>

In 2018, an investigation by the U.S. [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA) called “Operation Cedar” led to the arrest of Hezbollah operatives involved in laundering millions of euros in South American drug money to Europe and Lebanon. One of the operatives arrested was Hassan Tarabolsi, a German citizen who manages a worldwide money laundering business. Tarabolsi represents the close connection between the criminal operation and the leaders of Hezbollah.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://janus-initiative.com/|title=Janus Initiative | Fighting the terror and crime spreading in europe|first=Janus|last=Initiative|date=January 30, 2019|website=Janus Initiative}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2018/11/19/hezbollah-on-trial-in-europe/|title=FDD | Hezbollah on Trial in Europe|date=November 19, 2018|website=FDD}}</ref>

===India===
{{see also|Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002|Money_laundering#India|label 2=Anti-money laundering actions by India|Enforcement Directorate}}

India has campaigned for linking of the [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]'s [[macroprudential regulation]] and lending policies with key provisions of [[Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering|FATF]]'s [[Money laundering#Combating|anti-money laundering]] (AML) and countering financing of terrorism (CFT) to enhance its IMF member nation's compliance on these issues which cause a threat to the global economy. India also seeks to link these IMF policies with [[Bank secrecy|secrecy jurisdictions]], [[Computer security|cyber risks]] and [[tax haven]]s.<ref name=IndiaTerror1>[https://www.news18.com/news/business/india-seeks-integration-of-anti-money-laundering-counter-terror-financing-with-imf-lending-policies-2352305.html India Seeks Integration of Anti-money Laundering, Counter-terror Financing with IMF Lending Policies], News 18, 19 October 2019.</ref>

===Spain===
In February 2019, the [[Directorate-General for the Treasury|Spanish Treasury]], through the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences ([[SEPBLAC]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sepblac.es/en/|title=Sepblac {{!}} Servicio Ejecutivo de la Comisión de Prevención del Blanqueo de Capitales e Infracciones Monetarias|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref>), published their strategy for preventing the financing of terrorism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paymentscompliance.com/premium-content/research_report/spain-strategy-prevent-financing-terrorism|title=Spain: Strategy to Prevent the Financing of Terrorism {{!}} PaymentsCompliance|website=paymentscompliance.com|access-date=2019-02-08|archive-date=2019-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124052/https://paymentscompliance.com/premium-content/research_report/spain-strategy-prevent-financing-terrorism|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tesoro.es/sites/default/files/estrategia_de_prevencion_de_la_financiacion_del_terrorismo.pdf|title=PREVENCIÓN DE LA FINANCIACIÓN DEL TERRORISMO|access-date=2019-02-08|archive-date=2019-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113182315/http://www.tesoro.es/sites/default/files/estrategia_de_prevencion_de_la_financiacion_del_terrorismo.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
In the UK, the [[Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989]], put in place in 1989, helped to prevent the financing of terrorism. This was more so to help shut down the funding of the [[Irish republicanism|Republican]] and [[Ulster Loyalism|Loyalist]] paramilitaries in [[Northern Ireland]]. Income sources for the Irish Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries came from gambling machines, cab companies and charitable donations in Northern Ireland, which provided the overwhelming bulk of revenue in [[the Troubles]] (1969–1998).<ref name="HFES">{{cite journal|url=https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1187&context=mjil#page=8|title=Anti-Terrorist Finance in the United Kingdom and United States|author=Laura K. Donohue|pages=8|date=2006|volume=27 |issue=2|journal=Michigan Journal of International Law}}</ref><ref name="BHT">{{cite report|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmniaf/978/97806.htm|title=Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs - Part One: The continuing threat from paramilitary organisations|date=26 June 2002|website=UK Parliament}}</ref>

=== Republic of Ireland ===
The [[Offences against the State Acts 1939–1998]] criminalises many actions deemed detrimental to the security of the Republic of Ireland. An organisation can be made subject to a suppression order under the act, after which being a member of or directing or fundraising the activities of such an unlawful organisation becomes an offence. During the Troubles (1969–1998), the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] (PIRA) and the [[Irish National Liberation Army]] (INLA) were proscribed under these measures.

However during the conflict, the Republic of Ireland was a primary source of funds, arms (mostly [[improvised explosive device|IEDs]] of Irish origin), training camps, bomb factories, and safe houses for the Irish Republican cause more than any other group or nation on earth in the conflict.<ref name="HFES"/><ref name="BVGEF">{{citation|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/republic-ireland-played-integral-role-supporting-ira-says-historian-988519|title=Republic of Ireland played integral role in supporting IRA, says historian|date=5 April 2019|publisher=[[News Letter]]}}</ref><ref name="NRG">{{cite news|title=Support in Republic during Troubles 'key for IRA', book claims|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/04/06/news/headline-1591367/|author=John Manley|date=6 April 2019|publisher=[[The Irish News]]}}</ref> Overseas donations, including $12 million in cash from Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishcentral.com/news/gaddafi-ira-support-irish-state-papers|title=Libyan leader Gaddafi's IRA support revealed in secret Irish State Papers|author=Paddy Clancy|date=December 31, 2021|publisher=Irish Central}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/1228/1267955-state-papers-libya-ira/|title=Extent of Libyan backing for IRA 'shocked' British|author= David McCullagh, Conor McMorrow and Justin McCarthy|date=28 December 2021|publisher=[[RTÉ]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-gaddafi-financial-support-ira-stunned-british-intelligence|title=Libya: Extent of Gaddafi's financial support for IRA stunned British intelligence|date=28 December 2021|publisher=[[Middle East Eye]]}}</ref> and $3.6 million raised by [[NORAID]] in America for the Republican cause (but not necessarily directly to the IRA coffers),<ref>{{cite book|title=The Counter-Insurgency Myth: The British Experience of Irregular Warfare|author=Andrew Mumford|page=119|date=August 6, 2012|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=9-7811-3664-9387}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding Civil War: Evidence and Analysis · Volume 2|author=Nicholas Sambanis and Paul Collier|date=January 2005 |page=171|publisher=[[World Bank]]|isbn=9-7808-2136-0507|quote=Estimated to have sent at total of $3.6 million to Ireland from 1970 to 1991, NORAID's contributions represented a small, but not [politically] insignificant, part of the IRA's income, which is estimated to have amounted to approximately $10 million a year.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding Terrorist Finance|author=T. Wittig|pages=154–155|date=July 26, 2011|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|isbn=9-7802-3031-6935|quote=From its founding in 1969 until 1991, NORAID raised approximately $3.6 million for Irish republican causes, through a combination of testimonial fundraising dinners and an extensive campaign to solicit donations through direct mail, dinner-dance benefits, and "passing the hat" in Irish American-owned businesses (such as bars) in major US cities.' This money was ostensibly to provide support for any number of causes related to Ireland and Irish republicanism, ranging from political activities to support to the families of imprisoned PIRA members}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-fein-raised-12-million-in-the-united-states-1.2126033|title=Sinn Féin raised $12 million in the United States|author=Pamela Duncan and Simon Carswell|date=March 5, 2015|publisher=[[The Irish Times]]}} {{subscription required}}</ref> were often overexaggerated and actually really small.<ref name="BHT"/><ref name="HFES"/><ref name="BVGEF"/><ref name="NRG"/> Most or nearly all of the revenue for the IRA came from legitimate and criminal activities within Ireland such as [[protection racket]]s, [[bank robbery|bank robberies]], [[Hackney carriage#Black cabs|black taxies]], [[fraud]], and [[money laundering]], all of which contributed to the longevity of the conflict as it enabled the group to buy enough guns and explosives.<ref name="HFES"/><ref name="BVGEF"/><ref name="NRG"/><ref name="BHT"/>

===Supranational organizations===

====European Union====
[[European Union]] has undertaken several actions against money laundering and terror funding. This includes the production of the following reports and implementation of their corresponding recommendations: Supranational Risk Assessment Report (SNRA), a Report on publicly known anti-money laundering cases involving EU banks, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) report, and interconnection of central bank account registries.<ref name=euterror1>[https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-19-4369_en.htm Fact Sheet: Commission assesses risks and implementation shortcomings in fight against money laundering and terrorist financing: Questions and Answers], European Commission, 24 July 2019.</ref>

==== United Nations ====
[[United Nations Security Council]] [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373|Resolution 1373]] is a [[counter-terrorism]] measure intended to deny financing to terrorist organisations and individuals.

Article 2.1 of the 1999 [[Terrorist Financing Convention]] defines the crime of terrorist financing as the offense committed by "any person" who "by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and willfully, provides or collects funds with the intention that they should be used or in the knowledge that they are to be used, in full or in part, in order to carry out" an act "intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a [[civilian]], or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of [[war|armed conflict]], when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an [[international organization]] to do or to abstain from doing any act."<ref>United Nations [http://treaties.un.org/doc/db/Terrorism/english-18-11.pdf 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (Terrorist Financing Convention)], art. 2.1</ref>

The UN Security Council adopted [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373|Resolution 1373]] after the 9/11 attacks. This outlined that states were not allowed to provide financing to terrorist organizations, allow safe havens to them and that information regarding terrorist groups had to be shared with other governments.

A committee was formed in the United Nations that were in charge of gathering a list of organizations and people who had ties with terrorism or were suspected of terrorism whose financial accounts needed to be frozen and that no financial institutes would be able to do trade with them.<ref name=":04"/>

== Bitcoin ==
In January 2019, the military wing of [[Hamas]], known as the [[Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades|al-Qassam Brigades]], began a campaign to get supporters to donate USD. Soon after announcing its intention to crowdfund through [[Bitcoin]], the al-Qassam Brigades provided a Bitcoin address to which donors could send funds and posted infographics and tutorials about Bitcoin on social media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/yayafanusie/2019/02/04/hamas-military-wing-crowdfunding-bitcoin/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206193522/https://www.forbes.com/sites/yayafanusie/2019/02/04/hamas-military-wing-crowdfunding-bitcoin/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 6, 2019|title=Hamas Military Wing Crowdfunding Bitcoin|last=Fanusie|first=Yaya|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-02-12}}</ref>

Since then Hamas has used Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies but reports claim the amounts are smaller when compared to its traditional funding sources and are often traceable due to blockchain transparency. Authorities in the U.S. and Israel have repeatedly seized millions in crypto tied to Hamas and related exchanges, most recently targeting BuyCash and confiscating funds raised after the October 2023 attacks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2024 |title=US DOJ Charges Hamas Leaders with October 7 Attacks, Details Hamas' Use of Cryptocurrencies |url=https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/us-doj-charges-hamas-leaders-with-october-7-attacks-details-hamas-use-of-cryptocurrencies?utm_}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2025 |title=Justice Department Disrupts Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme Through Seizure of Cryptocurrency |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-disrupts-hamas-terrorist-financing-scheme-through-seizure-cryptocurrency?utm_}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-08 |title=U.S., UK, and Australia Target Additional Hamas Financial Networks and Facilitators of Virtual Currency Transfers |url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2036 |access-date=2025-08-21 |website=U.S. Department of the Treasury |language=en}}</ref> These cases have fueled regulatory crackdowns, lawsuits against crypto platforms like [[Binance]], and proposals to treat crypto mixers as national security threats.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== See also ==
* [[Alms for Jihad]]
* [[Cryptocurrency and crime]]
* [[Finances of the Islamic State]]
* [[Funding Evil]]
* [[List of charities accused of ties to terrorism]]
* [[Money laundering]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060303092457/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/ 9/11 Commission Report]
*{{cite book
| last = Rohan Bedi
| year = 2004
| url = http://books.global-investor.com/books/16287.htm
| title = Money Laundering - Controls and Prevention
| publisher = ISI Publications
| isbn = 978-962-7762-87-4
}}
*{{cite news
| first=Sharm
| last=El-Sheikh
| url=http://economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5053373
| title= Financing terrorism: Looking in the wrong places
| newspaper=The Economist
| date=2005-10-20
}}
*{{cite news
| first=Jeffery
| last=Robinson
| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2038874,00.html
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112221500/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2038874,00.html
| url-status=dead
| archive-date=January 12, 2008
| title=Brown's war just doesn't add up: you can't kill terrorists with a calculator
| newspaper=Times Online
| date=2006-02-14
}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* Adams, James. The Financing of Terror. Sevenoaks, Kent: New English Library, 1986.
* American Foreign Policy Council. Confronting Terrorism Financing. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2005.
* Biersteker, Thomas J., and Sue E. Eckert. Countering the Financing of Terrorism. London: Routledge, 2008.
* Clarke, C.P. Terrorism, Inc.: The Financing of Terrorism, Insurgency, and Irregular Warfare. ABC-CLIO, 2015.
*, Sean S., and David Gold. Terrornomics. Aldershot, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2007.
* [[Rachel Ehrenfeld|Ehrenfeld, Rachel]]. Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed—and How to Stop It. Chicago: Bonus Books, 2003.
* Freeman, Michael. Financing Terrorism Case Studies. Farnham: Ashgate, 2011.
* Giraldo, Jeanne K., and Harold A. Trinkunas. Terrorism Financing and State Responses: A Comparative Perspective. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2007.
* Martin, Gus, and [[Harvey W. Kushner]]. The Sage Encyclopedia of Terrorism. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, 2011.
* Pieth, Mark. Financing Terrorism. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.
* Schott, Paul Allan. Reference Guide to Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2006.
* Vittori, Jodi. Terrorist Financing and Resourcing. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

==External links==

* [https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/ US Department of State International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), annual report issued in March every year.] Essential reading for all compliance officers for evaluating country money laundering risk
* [http://www.fincen.gov/ US FinCEN (the US FIU)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910181324/http://fincen.gov/ |date=2015-09-10 }} - Periodic SAR Reviews
* [http://www.soca.gov.uk/assessPublications/downloads/threat_assess_unclass_250706.pdf UK SOCA (merges NCIS (the UK FIU)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006194105/http://www.soca.gov.uk/assessPublications/downloads/threat_assess_unclass_250706.pdf |date=2009-10-06 }} - the UK Threat Assessment
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061014224903/http://www.alacra.com/compliance-search/ Compliance Web Search] - A Google-powered vertical search engine designed to facilitate and accelerate the account vetting process for financial institutions
* [http://www.worldbank.org/amlcft Financial Market Integrity Unit, The World Bank]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060902120644/http://www.pvtr.org/coreprojects_strategiccounterterrorism_financing.htm International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research] - Strategic Counter Terrorism - Financial Response
* [http://www.gdf.it/Editoria/Studi_e_ricerche/info430620057.html The funding of international islamic terrorism ~ Strategic analysis profiles ~ Guardia di Finanza General Headquarters - 2nd Department – Analysis Unit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612190529/http://www.gdf.it/Editoria/Studi_e_ricerche/info430620057.html |date=2008-06-12 }}
* [http://www.terrorfinance.org The Terror Finance Blog] - Blog on all aspects of terrorism financing written by a group of independent analysts
* [http://www.fatf-gafi.org/ The Financial Action Task Force website]
* [http://www.world-check.com/ World-Check.com] - For negative news and sanctions screening.

{{Terrorism topics}}

[[Category:Commercial crimes]]
[[Category:Funding of terrorism| ]]

Financial Action Task Force blacklist

2026-09-15T07:57:15Z

BellaCH: Created page with "{{Short description|Blacklist of non-cooperating countries created by the Financial Action Task Force}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} The '''Financial Action Task Force blacklist''' (often abbreviated to '''FATF blacklist''', and officially known as the "'''Call for action'''")<!-- WP:COMMONNAME seems to still be the "FATF blacklist; but we should be clear in what circles this list is referred to by other names, which implies a "call for action" ASIF action i..."

{{Short description|Blacklist of non-cooperating countries created by the Financial Action Task Force}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

The '''Financial Action Task Force blacklist''' (often abbreviated to '''FATF blacklist''', and officially known as the "'''Call for action'''")<ref name="fatfterminology1">[https://www.fatf-gafi.org/countries/ FATF nations, Full member nations, Observer nations, Call for action nations (Blacklisted nations), Other monitored jurisdictions (greylisted nations)], FATF, accessed 24 October 2019.</ref> is a [[Blacklisting|blacklist]] maintained by the [[Financial Action Task Force]].<ref name="Introduction-May1">{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/ |title=About FATF |access-date=1 May 2018 |publisher=FATF |archive-date=27 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427101315/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chohan |first1=Usman W. |date=14 March 2019 |title=The FATF in the Global Financial Architecture: Challenges and Implications |journal=International, Transnational & Comparative Law Journal |publisher=UNSW Business School; Critical Blockchain Research Initiative (CBRI); Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) |doi=10.2139/ssrn.3362167 |ssrn=3362167 |s2cid=197804604 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The blacklist has been issued by the FATF since 2000, and lists countries which FATF judges to be non-cooperative in the global fight against [[money laundering]] and [[Terrorism financing|terrorist financing]], calling them "Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories" (NCCTs).<ref name="fatfworks">{{cite web| url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/whatwedo/| title=FATF Works| access-date=1 May 2018| publisher=FATF| archive-date=7 May 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507202711/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/whatwedo/| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Although non-appearance on the blacklist was perceived to be a mark of approbation for [[offshore financial centre]]s (or "tax havens") that are sufficiently well regulated to meet all of the FATF's criteria, in practice, the list included countries that did not operate as offshore financial centres. The FATF updates the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.<ref name="fatfworks" />

The FATF describes "High-risk jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action" as having "significant strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and financing of [[Proliferation (nuclear weapons)|proliferation]]. For all countries identified as high-risk, the FATF calls on all members and urges all jurisdictions to apply enhanced due diligence. In the most serious cases, countries are called upon to apply counter-measures to protect the international financial system from the ongoing money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing risks emanating from the country".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/countries/#Iran|title=Countries - Financial Action Task Force (FATF)|website=www.fatf-gafi.org}}</ref> As of February 2026, only three countries were on the FATF blacklist: [[North Korea]], [[Iran]], and [[Myanmar]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action - 13 February 2026 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-february-2026.html |access-date=29 March 2026 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org}}</ref>

The FATF has been characterized as effective in shifting laws and regulations to combat illicit financial flows. FATF incentivizes stricter regulations through its public noncomplier list, which leads financial institutions to shift resources and services away from the countries on the blacklist. This in turn motivates domestic economic and political actors in the listed countries to pressure their governments to introduce regulations that are compliant with the FATF.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Morse|first=Julia C.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv1hw3x0d|title=The Bankers' Blacklist: Unofficial Market Enforcement and the Global Fight against Illicit Financing|date=2021|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-1-5017-6151-5|jstor=10.7591/j.ctv1hw3x0d }}</ref>

==History==
The FATF was established by the [[G7]] summit that was held in Paris in July 1989. Founding stakeholders include the G-7 Heads of State or Government, the President of the European Commission and eight other countries.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/historyofthefatf/| title=History of FATF| access-date=1 May 2018| publisher=FATF| archive-date=19 June 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619111837/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/historyofthefatf/| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The term "non-cooperative" was criticized by some analysts as misleading, as a number of countries on the list simply lacked the infrastructure or resources to cope with relatively sophisticated financial criminals who tried to operate there.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharman |first=J.C. |title=THE MONEY LAUNDRY: REGULATING CRIMINAL FINANCE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-8014-5018-1 |pages=44ff |language=en}}</ref> Since 2008 the FATF has, at the behest of [[G20]] leaders, installed a more analytical process for identifying jurisdictions deficient in their anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regimes.<ref name = fatfworks/>

==Primary works==
One of the main objectives of the FATF is to establish norms and standards of "legal, regulatory and operational measures" to fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the security and integrity of the international financial system. However, FATF "has no investigative authority." FATF works with nation-states to bring legislative changes and regulatory reforms in the aforementioned sectors.<ref name = fatfworks/> In addition, the FATF also provides policy recommendations that meet international standards to countries for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. FATF has been providing policy recommendations since 1990 and their recommendations have been revised four times since then. FATF also monitors the situations of its members in establishing adequate measures and institutions to fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. FATF also makes sure that it is aware of national-level vulnerabilities of its member states "with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfrecommendations/documents/internationalstandardsoncombatingmoneylaunderingandthefinancingofterrorismproliferation-thefatfrecommendations.html| title= Policy Recommendations|access-date=1 May 2018}}</ref>

==FATF member nations==
===Full members===
[[File:Financial Action Task Force Membership Map.png|thumb|Financial Action Task Force Membership Map]]
According to its official website, there are 39 members of FATF (earlier 40 members, Russia's membership was suspended in Feb 2023) and two Regional Organisations (European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council), representing most financial centers around the world.
The list consisted of the following countries:<ref>{{cite web|title=FATF Members and Observers|url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/membersandobservers/|publisher=FATF|access-date=22 October 2024|archive-date=5 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705070200/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/membersandobservers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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# {{flag|Argentina}}
# {{flag|Australia}}
# {{flag|Austria}}
# {{flag|Belgium}}
# {{flag|Brazil}}
# {{flag|Canada}}
# {{flag|China}}
# {{flag|Denmark}}
# {{flag|EU}}
# {{flag|Finland}}
# {{flag|France}}
# {{flag|Germany}}
# {{flag|Greece}}
# {{flag|Gulf Cooperation Council}}
# {{flag|Hong Kong}}
# {{flag|Iceland}}
# {{flag|India}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Ireland}}
# {{flag|Israel}}
# {{flag|Italy}}
# {{flag|Japan}}
# {{flag|Republic of Korea}}
# {{flag|Luxembourg}}
# {{flag|Malaysia}}
# {{flag|Mexico}}
# {{flag|Netherlands}}
# {{flag|New Zealand}}
# {{flag|Norway}}
# {{flag|Portugal}}
# {{flag|Russia}}
# {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
# {{flag|Singapore}}
# {{flag|South Africa}}
# {{flag|Spain}}
# {{flag|Sweden}}
# {{flag|Switzerland}}
# {{flag|Turkey}}
# {{flag|United Kingdom}}
# {{flag|United States}}
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===Observer nations===
There are currently no FATF observer nations, but many financial institutions participate at that level.<ref>{{cite web|title=FATF Observers|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/membersandobservers/|publisher=FATF|access-date=22 October 2024|archive-date=19 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919001646/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/membersandobservers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==FATF Blacklisting reports==
The Blacklist is a term used by the media, which is officially called a "Call for action" nations by the FATF.

===June 2000 report===
The initial list of fifteen countries regarded as uncooperative in the fight against money laundering, was published in June 2000.<ref name=":0">[https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/1999%202000%20NCCT%20ENG.pdf "June 2000 Report"] (PDF). FATF. Retrieved 5 Oct 2022.</ref> The list consisted of the following countries:<ref name=":0" />

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# {{flag|Bahamas}}
# {{flag|Cayman Islands}}
# {{flag|Cook Islands}}
# {{flag|Israel}}
# {{flag|Lebanon}}
# {{flag|Marshall Islands}}
# {{flag|Nauru}}
# {{flag|Niue}}
# {{flag|Panama}}
# {{flag|Philippines}}
# {{flag|Russian Federation}}
# {{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
# {{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
{{div col end}}

===June 2001 report===
The second FATF report, published in 2001 and including a supplemental report in September, denoted a further eight countries as non-cooperative:
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# {{flag|Egypt}}
# {{flag|Grenada}}
# {{flag|Guatemala}}
# {{flag|Hungary}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Ukraine}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2002 report===
According to June 2002 report from FATF, following countries were listed as NCCTs.<ref>{{cite web|title=June 2002 Report|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/2001%202002%20NCCT%20ENG.pdf|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Dominica}}
# {{flag|Egypt}}
# {{flag|Grenada}}
# {{flag|Guatemala}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Marshall Islands}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nauru}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Niue}}
# {{flag|Philippines}}
# {{flag|St. Vincent and the Grenadines}}
# {{flag|Ukraine}}
{{div col end}}

===June 2003 report===
According to a June 2003 report from FATF, the following countries were listed as NCCTs.<ref>{{cite web|title=June 2003 report|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/2002%202003%20NCCT%20ENG.pdf|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Cook Islands}}
# {{flag|Egypt}}
# {{flag|Guatemala}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nauru}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Philippines}}
# {{flag|Ukraine}}
{{col div end}}

===July 2004 report===
According to the July 2004 report from FATF, the following countries were listed as NCCTs.<ref>{{cite web|title=July 2004 Report|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/2003%202004%20NCCT%20ENG.pdf|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nauru}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Philippines}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2005 Report===
According to June 2005 report from FATF, the following were listed as NCCTs.<ref>{{cite web|title=June 2005 Report|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/2004%202005%20NCCT%20ENG.pdf|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nauru}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2006 report===
The seventh list, published in June 2006,<ref>[http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/0/0/37029619.pdf Error:- 404 - Financial Action Task Force (FATF)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060715090401/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/0/0/37029619.pdf |date=15 July 2006 }}</ref> listed only the following country as non-cooperative:

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# {{flag|Myanmar}}
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===June 2007 report===
FATF's Eighth NCCT Review (Annual Review of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories 2006–2007, dated 12 October 2007) listed no countries as non-cooperative.<ref name="fatf-gafi.org">{{cite web|url = http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/14/11/39552632.pdf |title = Annual Review of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories 2006-2007: Eighth NCCT Review|publisher = Financial Action Task Force (FATF)|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081031070853/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/14/11/39552632.pdf|archive-date = 31 October 2008}}</ref> Myanmar (formerly Burma) was removed on 13 October 2006, Nauru on 13 October 2005 and Nigeria on 23 June 2006.<ref name="fatf-gafi.org"/>

===June 2008 report===
FATF's Ninth Review identified the following countries as high risk and non-cooperative.<ref name="fatf2008">[http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfstatement-20june2008.html FATF Statement - 20 June 2008] Financial Action Task Force (FATF)</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|Pakistan}}
# {{flag|Turkmenistan}}
# {{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
# {{flag|Northern Cyprus}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2009 statement===
FATF issued a "public statement" on 25 February 2009 noting concerns and encouraging greater compliance by the following countries:<ref>[http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/18/28/42242615.pdf FATF Statement concerning Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan* and India and Príncipe - 26 June 2009] Financial Action Task Force (FATF) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007181834/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/18/28/42242615.pdf |date=7 October 2009 }}</ref>

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# {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
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===October 2010 Statement===
The following country has not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or has not committed to an action plan developed with the FATF to address the deficiencies.<ref>{{cite web|title=FATF Public Statement 2010|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfpublicstatement-22october2010.html|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

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# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

===October 2011 Statement===
The following countries have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan developed with the FATF to address the deficiencies.<ref>{{cite web|title=FATA Public Statement 2011|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfpublicstatement-28october2011.html|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018|archive-date=3 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503041231/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfpublicstatement-28october2011.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Cuba}}
# {{flag|Bolivia}}
# {{flag|Ethiopia}}
# {{flag|Kenya}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Sao Tome and Principe}}
# {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
# {{flag|Syria}}
# {{flag|Turkey}}
{{div col end}}

===February 2012 statement===

A total of 17 countries were labeled as high-risk and non-cooperative jurisdictions by FATF. All listed countries below are defined as such; counter-measures were in force only for Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea).<ref name=blacklist-feb12>{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfpublicstatement-16february2012.html |title=FATF Public Statement - 16 February 2012 |date=16 February 2012 |access-date=6 October 2014 |publisher=FATF |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081216/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatfpublicstatement-16february2012.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

High-risk and non-cooperative countries, to whom counter-measures applied:
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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

High-risk and non-cooperative countries, not committed to an action plan:

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Bolivia}}
# {{flag|Cuba}}
# {{flag|Ethiopia}}
# {{flag|Ghana}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Kenya}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Nigeria}}
# {{flag|Israel}}
# {{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
# {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
# {{flag|Syria}}
# {{flag|Tanzania}}
# {{flag|Thailand}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2013===
A total of 14 countries were identified as jurisdictions that have strategic deficiencies that pose a risk to the international financial system.<ref name=blacklist-jun13>{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-june-2013.html |title=FATF Public Statement - 21 June 2013 |date=21 June 2013 |access-date=6 October 2014 |publisher=FATF |archive-date=14 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814110944/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-june-2013.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Jurisdictions subject to a FATF call on its members and other jurisdictions to apply counter-measures to protect the international financial system from the ongoing and substantial money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks emanating from the jurisdictions.

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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

Jurisdictions with strategic [[Anti–money laundering|AML/CFT]] deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan.

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# {{flag|Ecuador}}
# {{flag|Ethiopia}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Kenya}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
# {{flag|Syria}}
# {{flag|Tanzania}}
# {{flag|Turkey}}
# {{flag|Vietnam}}
# {{flag|Yemen}}
{{col div end}}

===October 2013 statement===
A total of 13 countries were identified as jurisdictions that have strategic deficiencies that pose a risk to the international financial system.<ref name=blacklist-oct13>{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/fatf-public-statement-oct-2013.html |title=FATF Public Statement - 18 October 2013 |date=18 October 2013 |access-date=6 October 2014 |publisher=FATF}}</ref>
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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

Jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan.

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Algeria}}
# {{flag|Ecuador}}
# {{flag|Ethiopia}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Kenya}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Tanzania}}
# {{flag|Turkey}}
# {{flag|Yemen}}
{{div col end}}

===February 2014===
A total of 11 countries were identified as jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies posing a risk to the international financial system.<ref name="blacklist-feb14">{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-feb-2014.html |title=FATF Public Statement - 14 February 2014 |date=14 February 2014 |access-date=6 October 2014 |publisher=FATF}}</ref>

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# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

Jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan.

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Algeria}}
# {{flag|Ecuador}}
# {{flag|Ethiopia}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
# {{flag|Syria}}
# {{flag|Israel}}
# {{flag|Yemen}}
{{col div end}}

===June 2014 statement===
A total of 6 countries were identified as jurisdictions that have strategic deficiencies that pose a risk to the international financial system.<ref name="blacklist-jun14">{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-june-2014.html |title=FATF Public Statement - 27 June 2014 |date=27 June 2014 |access-date=6 October 2014 |publisher=FATF |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006083004/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-june-2014.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
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Jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan.

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# {{flag|Algeria}}
# {{flag|Ecuador}}
# {{flag|Indonesia}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
{{col div end}}

===February 2015 statement===

Jurisdictions subject to a FATF call on its members and other jurisdictions to apply counter-measures to protect the international financial system from the ongoing and substantial money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/FT) risks emanating from the jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Public-statement-february-2015.html|title=FATF Public Statement - 27 February 2015}}</ref>

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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

Jurisdictions with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not committed to an action plan developed with the FATF to address the deficiencies. The FATF calls on its members to consider the risks arising from the deficiencies associated with each jurisdiction, as described below.

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# {{flag|Algeria}}
# {{flag|Ecuador}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
{{col div end}}

===October 2015 statement===
The FATF statement issued on 23 October 2015 identified three high-risk and non-cooperative jurisdictions:<ref>{{cite web|title=FATF Public Statement - 23 October 2015|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-october-2015.html|publisher=Financial Action Task Force (FATF)|access-date=20 November 2015}}</ref>

Call to apply counter-measures:
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# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

Jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies:
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# {{flag|Myanmar}}
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===February 2016 statement===
Jurisdictions subject to a FATF call on its members and other jurisdictions to apply counter-measures to protect the international financial system from the on-going and substantial money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/FT) risks emanating from the jurisdictions.,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Public-statement-february-2016.html | title=FATF Public Statement – 19 February 2016|publisher=Financial Action Task Force (FATF)|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref>

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# {{flag|North Korea}}
{{col div end}}

===February 2017 Statement===
Regarding North Korea, the FATF released the following concern:

"The terrorism (AML/CFT) regime and the serious threat this poses to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF urges the DPRK to immediately and meaningfully address its AML/CFT deficiencies. Further, FATF has serious concerns with the threat posed by DPRK's illicit activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and its financing."<ref>{{cite web|title=TATF Public Statement 2017|url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/public-statement-february-2017.html|publisher=FATF|access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>

==Current FATF lists==
{{anchor | Current | Current list | Current FATF list }}


===Current FATF blacklist===
{{anchor | blacklist | FATF blacklist | current FATF blacklist }}
[[File:FATF blacklist and greylist states (2026).png|thumb|240x240px|FATF blacklist and greylist states as of 2026]]
As of 13 February 2026, the following countries were on this list:<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title="Black and grey" lists |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/black-and-grey-lists.html |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Iran}}
# {{flag|North Korea}}
# {{flag|Myanmar}}
{{col div end}}

=== Basis for Blacklist Status ===
'''North Korea''' is identified as having severe strategic deficiencies in addressing money laundering, terrorist financing, and [[proliferation financing]]. It is subject to enhanced due diligence and even countermeasures to protect the international financial system from the risks it poses.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action - 13 June 2025 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-june-2025.html |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org}}</ref>

'''Iran''' has not yet completed its action plan, has not ratified the [[Palermo Convention]] or the [[Terrorist Financing Convention]]s (CFT), and requires significant additional steps to comply with FATF standards.<ref name=":1" /> Following the approval of Iran’s accession to the Palermo Convention, the FATF invited representatives of the Islamic Republic for discussions regarding Iran’s presence on the blacklist. Despite its accession to the Palermo Convention, according to ''[[Iran International]]'', Iran has still not joined the CFT, and for years it has funded organizations such as [[Hamas]] and [[Hezbollah]], which are considered terrorist organizations by much of the international community.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-09 |title=Iran says invited by financial watchdog for talks to break FATF deadlock |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202508096456 |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=www.iranintl.com |language=en}}</ref> On 24 October 2025, FATF announced that Iran would not be removed from its blacklist. Despite the regime’s approval of accession to the CFT and the Palermo Convention, FATF stated that Iran had not made substantive changes and continues to pose a high risk of [[Iran and state-sponsored terrorism|terrorist financing]], money laundering, and the proliferation of [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action - 24 October 2025 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-october-2025.html |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org}}</ref>

'''Myanmar''' has significant strategic deficiencies in its mechanisms for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and will remain under close monitoring until it fully completes its action plan.<ref name=":1" />

===Current FATF grey list===
{{anchor | greylist | FATF Greylist | Current FATF Greylist }}
As of 13 February 2026, the following 23 countries/territories were on this list:<ref name=":2" />

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
# {{flag|Algeria}}
# {{flag|Angola}}
# {{flag|Bolivia}}
# {{flag|Bulgaria}}
# {{flag|Cameroon}}
# {{flag|Côte d'Ivoire}}
# {{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
# {{flag|Haiti}}
# {{flag|Kenya}}
# {{flag|Kuwait}}<ref name= Kuw>[https://www.agbi.com/finance/2026/02/financial-crime-watchdog-puts-kuwait-on-grey-list/ Financial crime watchdog puts Kuwait on grey list], Shruthi Nair for AGBI, retrieved 23 March 2026.</ref>
# {{flag|Laos}}
# {{flag|Lebanon}}<ref name= Leb>[https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanon-grey-listed-by-financial-watchdog-fatf-two-sources-say-2024-10-25/ Watchdog FATF places Lebanon on financial crime watchlist], Timour Azhari and Makini Brice for Reuters, posted and retrieved 25 Oct 2024.</ref>
# {{flag|Monaco}}<ref name= Mon>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/monaco-venezuela-placed-on-global-money-laundering-watch-list-754bda7a?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqclOsBSM0TkglF8Gxkqr5abrrH0sFoG86lmRfbYuDe3rorfzGjr2akVP7GwrRo%3D&gaa_ts=697ec1a7&gaa_sig=Z3Hq8GCyv0Bi1-CHTpZDz4al8Rr2g9JsuP2hW84Aavy9dn5mm4RUQDiA6Ut07yepr6vH3DlWfO5XW_dePX6MPw%3D%3D Monaco, Venezuela Placed on Global Money-Laundering Watch List], Mengqi Sun for WSJ retrieved 1 Feb 2026.</ref>
#
# {{flag|Namibia}}
# {{flag|Nepal}}
# {{flag|Papua New Guinea}}<ref name= PNG>[https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/587146/papua-new-guinea-one-step-away-from-being-blacklisted-global-money-laundering-watchdog-warns Papua New Guinea one step away from being blacklisted, global money laundering watchdog warns], Kaya Selby for RNZ, retrieved 23 March 2026.</ref>
#
# {{flag|Senegal}}
# {{flag|South Sudan}}
# {{flag|Syria}}
# {{flag|Venezuela}}<ref name= Mon></ref>
# {{flag|Vietnam}}<ref name="firstpost.com">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-24 |title=FATF adds Vietnam on grey list over weapons-proliferation risks |url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/fatf-adds-vietnam-on-grey-list-over-weapons-proliferation-risks-12784842.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>
# {{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
# {{flag|Yemen}}
{{col div end}}

=== FATF review meeting ===
The FATF Plenary, the making body, meets three times a year around February, June and October.<ref name=qu1>[https://livenewsdaily.in/pakistan-fails-to-meet-terror-finance-watchdogs-action-points-full-details/ Pakistan fails to meet terror finance watchdog's action points], Live News Daily, 17 June 2019.</ref><ref name="PakGreylisted1">[https://www.brecorder.com/2019/10/22/536596/clear-warning-fatf-statement/ Clear warning: FATF statement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024081145/https://www.brecorder.com/2019/10/22/536596/clear-warning-fatf-statement/ |date=24 October 2019 }}, Business recorder, 22 October 2019.</ref>

* In June 2021, the FATF stated that [[Mauritius]] and [[Botswana]] completed their action plans and would be subject to on-site visits before being removed from the list in October 2021.
* In June 2021, [[Ghana]] was removed from the grey list following the completion of its action plan and a successful on-site visit by assessors.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=GHANA EXITS FATF GREY LIST |url=https://fic.gov.gh/index.php/component/content/article/31-blog/travel/78-ghana-exits-fatf-grey-list |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=fic.gov.gh |language=en-gb}}</ref>
* In June 2021, [[Haiti]], [[Malta]], the [[Philippines]] and [[South Sudan]] have been added to the grey list.<ref name="FATF Outcome, June 2021">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfgeneral/documents/outcomes-fatf-plenary-june-2021.html|title=Outcomes FATF Plenary, 20-25 June 2021|publisher=[[FATF]]|date=2021-06-25|access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref><ref name="FATF Plenary, June 2021">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfgeneral/documents/plenary-june-2021.html|title=FATF Plenary, June 2021|publisher=[[FATF]]|date=2021-06-21|access-date=2021-06-27|archive-date=25 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625191114/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfgeneral/documents/plenary-june-2021.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="June 2021 updates">{{Cite web |url=https://www.regulationasia.com/fatf-plenary-packs-powerful-punch/|title=FATF Plenary Packs Powerful Punch|publisher=Regulation Asia|date=2021-06-25|access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref>
* In October 2021, [[Jordan]], [[Mali]] and [[Turkey]] were added to the grey list. [[Botswana]] and [[Mauritius]] were removed from the list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - October 2021 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2021.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260115032024/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2021.html|archive-date=2026-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-21 |title=Turkey, Jordan, Mali added to global financial watch list |url=https://apnews.com/article/business-middle-east-terrorism-8341ae07569d1b9b892989de18507d7c |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629093136/https://apnews.com/article/business-middle-east-terrorism-8341ae07569d1b9b892989de18507d7c |archive-date=2024-06-29 |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
* In March 2022, the [[United Arab Emirates]] was added to the grey list, while [[Zimbabwe]] was removed from the list.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stephen Kalin and Rory Jones |title=U.A.E. Placed on Global Watch List for Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-a-e-placed-on-global-watch-list-for-money-laundering-terrorism-financing-11646425480 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030044728/https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-a-e-placed-on-global-watch-list-for-money-laundering-terrorism-financing-11646425480 |archive-date=2023-10-30 |access-date=2026-04-03 |work=WSJ |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=FATF retains Pakistan on grey list, adds UAE - The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/fatf-retains-pakistan-on-grey-list-adds-uae-375541 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250722042250/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/fatf-retains-pakistan-on-grey-list-adds-uae-375541 |archive-date=2025-07-22 |access-date=2026-04-03 |work=The Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In June 2022, [[Malta]] was removed from the grey list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - June 2022 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-june-2022.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260129103255/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-june-2022.html|archive-date=2026-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Global dirty money watchdog removes Malta from its grey list |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/global-dirty-money-watchdog-removes-malta-its-grey-list-2022-06-17/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250722043729/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/global-dirty-money-watchdog-removes-malta-its-grey-list-2022-06-17/ |archive-date=2025-07-22 |access-date=2026-03-31 |work=Reuters |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In October 2022, [[Nicaragua]] and [[Pakistan]] were removed from the grey list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/pakistan-fatf-financial-action-task-force-grey-list-blacklist-explained-15000111.htm|title=Pakistan is out of FATF grey list after four years — here's what it took|date=21 October 2022|website=cnbctv18.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022113947/https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/pakistan-fatf-financial-action-task-force-grey-list-blacklist-explained-15000111.htm|archive-date=2022-10-22}}</ref> The [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Tanzania]] were added to the list,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Special report: FATF grey-listing in Sub-Saharan Africa |url=https://index.baselgovernance.org/api/assets/f2c74bc1-2760-4bea-a118-aaa96b9cdf09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007013459/https://index.baselgovernance.org/api/assets/f2c74bc1-2760-4bea-a118-aaa96b9cdf09 |archive-date=2025-10-07 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=index.baselgovernance.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 21 October 2022 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2022.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260113204907/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2022.html|archive-date=2026-01-13}}</ref> while [[Myanmar]] was moved to the black list.<ref>{{Cite news |title=International Financial Watchdog Adds Myanmar to Blacklist |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/international-financial-watchdog-adds-myanmar-to-blacklist/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250724002455/https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/international-financial-watchdog-adds-myanmar-to-blacklist/ |archive-date=2025-07-24 |access-date=2026-04-03 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action – 21 October 2022 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-october-2022.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260114003803/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Call-for-action-october-2022.html|archive-date=2026-01-14}}</ref>
* In February 2023, [[Cambodia]] and [[Morocco]] were removed from the grey list, while [[South Africa]] was added to the list.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1738919/fatf-suspends-russias-membership-over-ukraine-war | title=FATF suspends Russia's membership over Ukraine war | date=24 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324093011/https://www.dawn.com/news/1738919/fatf-suspends-russias-membership-over-ukraine-war|archive-date=2025-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 24 February 2023 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-february-2023.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260113204854/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-february-2023.html|archive-date=2026-01-13}}</ref>
* In June 2023, [[Cameroon]], [[Croatia]] and [[Vietnam]] were added to the grey list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cameroon, Croatia, Vietnam added to FATF Grey List |url=https://www.inscope-aml.com/cameroon-croatia-vietnam-added-to-fatf-grey-list |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250423211420/https://www.inscope-aml.com/cameroon-croatia-vietnam-added-to-fatf-grey-list |archive-date=2025-04-23 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=InScope-AML Software |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 23 June 2023 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-june-2023.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319055936/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-june-2023.html|archive-date=2024-03-19}}</ref>
* In October 2023, [[Bulgaria]] was added to the grey list, while [[Albania]], the [[Cayman Islands]], [[Jordan]] and [[Panama]] were removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FATF 'Gray Lists' Bulgaria; Delists Albania, Cayman Islands, Jordan and Panama {{!}} ACAMS |url=https://www.acams.org/en/news/fatf-gray-lists-bulgaria-delists-albania-cayman-islands-jordan-and-panama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260403144339/https://www.acams.org/en/news/fatf-gray-lists-bulgaria-delists-albania-cayman-islands-jordan-and-panama |archive-date=2026-04-03 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=www.acams.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 27 October 2023 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2023.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260219154854/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-october-2023.html|archive-date=2026-02-19}}</ref>
* In February 2024, [[Kenya]] and [[Namibia]] were added to the grey list, while [[Barbados]], [[Gibraltar]], [[Uganda]] and the [[United Arab Emirates]] were removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 23 February 2024 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-february-2024.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260114224633/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-monitoring-february-2024.html|archive-date=2026-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=sshah |date=2024-03-01 |title=Blow for Kenya and Namibia as they join money laundering grey list |url=https://african.business//2024/03/finance-services/blow-for-kenya-and-namibia-as-they-join-money-laundering-grey-list |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250723183151/https://african.business/2024/03/finance-services/blow-for-kenya-and-namibia-as-they-join-money-laundering-grey-list |archive-date=2025-07-23 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=African Business |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-23 |title=A money laundering watchdog removes the UAE, Uganda, Barbados and Gibraltar from a watchlist |url=https://apnews.com/article/money-laundering-terrorism-financing-watchlist-71bb797cd05af94a1a8f299f77d09afa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217153624/https://apnews.com/article/money-laundering-terrorism-financing-watchlist-71bb797cd05af94a1a8f299f77d09afa |archive-date=2025-02-17 |access-date=2026-04-04 |work=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
* In June 2024, [[Monaco]] and [[Venezuela]] were added to the grey list, while [[Jamaica]] and [[Turkey]] were removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - June 2024 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-june-2024.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260113204849/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-june-2024.html|archive-date=2026-01-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Monaco added to money laundering 'gray list' |url=https://www.dw.com/en/monaco-added-to-money-laundering-gray-list/a-69507747 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260328130801/https://www.dw.com/en/monaco-added-to-money-laundering-gray-list/a-69507747 |archive-date=2026-03-28 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>
* In October 2024, [[Algeria]], [[Angola]], [[Ivory Coast]] and [[Lebanon]] were added to the grey list, while [[Senegal]] was removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 25 October 2024 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-october-2024.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260211173830/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-october-2024.html|archive-date=2026-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Watchdog FATF places Lebanon and Algeria on financial crime watchlist {{!}} {{!}} AW |url=https://thearabweekly.com/watchdog-fatf-places-lebanon-and-algeria-financial-crime-watchlist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725175754/https://thearabweekly.com/watchdog-fatf-places-lebanon-and-algeria-financial-crime-watchlist |archive-date=2025-07-25 |access-date=2026-04-04 |work=AW |language=en}}</ref>
* In February 2025, [[Laos]] and [[Nepal]] were added to the grey list, while the [[Philippines]] were removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 21 February 2025 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2025.html |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260309005631/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2025.html|archive-date=2026-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Philippines Removed From Watchdog’s Money-laundering ‘Grey List’ |url=https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/philippines-removed-from-watchdogs-money-laundering-grey-list/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251003182856/https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/philippines-removed-from-watchdogs-money-laundering-grey-list/ |archive-date=2025-10-03 |access-date=2026-04-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In June 2025, [[Bolivia]] and the [[British Virgin Islands]] were added to the grey list, while [[Croatia]], [[Mali]] and [[Tanzania]] were removed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 13 June 2025 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-june-2025.html |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251002044329/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-june-2025.html|archive-date=2025-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-06-16 |title=FATF adds Bolivia and Virgin Islands (UK) to list of jurisdictions subject to enhanced surveillance |url=https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13660/20/fatf-adds-bolivia-and-virgin-islands-uk-to-list-of-jurisdictions-subject-to-enhanced-surveillance |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260404182145/https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13660/20/fatf-adds-bolivia-and-virgin-islands-uk-to-list-of-jurisdictions-subject-to-enhanced-surveillance |archive-date=2026-04-04 |access-date=2026-04-04 |work=Agence Europe |language=en-EN}}</ref>
* In October 2025, [[Burkina Faso]], [[Mozambique]], [[Nigeria]], and [[South Africa]] were removed from the grey list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 24 October 2025 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-october-2025.html |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260331230932/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-october-2025.html|archive-date=2026-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jazeera |first=Al |title=Four African countries taken off global money-laundering ‘grey list’ |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/24/four-african-countries-taken-off-global-money-laundering-grey-list |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260306155348/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/24/four-african-countries-taken-off-global-money-laundering-grey-list |archive-date=2026-03-06 |access-date=2026-04-04 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
* In February 2026, [[Kuwait]] and [[Papua New Guinea]] were added to the grey list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 13 February 2026 |url=https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2026.html |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=www.fatf-gafi.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260326104838/https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/increased-monitoring-february-2026.html|archive-date=2026-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-03-09 |title=FATF adds Kuwait, Papua New Guinea to increased monitoring list |url=https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/fatf-adds-kuwait-papua-new-guinea-to-increased-monitoring-list-126030901121_1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260404183022/https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/fatf-adds-kuwait-papua-new-guinea-to-increased-monitoring-list-126030901121_1.html |archive-date=2026-04-04 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=www.business-standard.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Other similar lists==
===OECD "grey list"===
[[File:OECD gray list.png|thumb|implementation of the internationally agreed tax standard as of 2011 {{legend|#008000|substantially implemented the standard}} {{legend|#00ff00|committed to the standard, but have not yet substantially implemented it}} {{legend|#ff0000|have not committed to the standard ''(none)''}} {{legend|lightgray|jurisdiction not monitored}}]]

Although its main focus is on tax crime, the [[OECD]] is also concerned with money laundering and has complemented the work carried out by the FATF.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,3343,en_2649_33767_2499879_1_1_1_37427,00.html |title=Tax and crime - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908203717/http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,3343,en_2649_33767_2499879_1_1_1_37427,00.html |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The OECD has maintained a 'blacklist' of countries it considers "uncooperative tax havens" in the drive for transparency of tax affairs and the effective exchange of information, officially called "The List of Uncooperative Tax Havens". Since May 2009, no countries were officially listed as uncooperative tax havens in the light of their commitments to implement the OECD standards.<ref name=oecd2009>[http://www.oecd.org/countries/monaco/listofunco-operativetaxhavens.htm List of Unco-operative Tax Havens] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] n.d., retrieved 7 May 2016</ref>

On 22 October 2008, at an OECD meeting in Paris, 17 countries led by France and Germany decided to draw up a new blacklist of tax havens. It had been asked to investigate around 40 new tax havens where undeclared revenue was hidden and which hosted many of the non-regulated hedge funds that came under fire during the [[2008 financial crisis]]. Germany, France, and other countries called on the OECD to add Switzerland to a blacklist of countries which encourage tax fraud.<ref name=glfo>[http://www.euronews.net/2008/10/21/calls-from-17-countries-for-new-tax-haven-blacklist/ Calls from 17 countries for new tax haven blacklist] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508071347/http://www.euronews.net/2008/10/21/calls-from-17-countries-for-new-tax-haven-blacklist |date=8 May 2010 }} euronews, world news, 21 October 2008</ref> On 2 April 2009, the OECD published a list of countries, divided into three parts depending on whether they implemented an "internationally agreed tax standard", in select jurisdictions – [[tax haven]]s or other financial centers of interest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/ctp/42497950.pdf |title=A Progress Report on The Jurisdictions Surveyed by The OECD Global Forum in Implementing The Internationally Agreed Tax Standard |publisher=OECD|date=2 April 2009|page=10}}</ref>

* substantially implemented the standard: [[Andorra]], [[Anguilla]], [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Argentina]], [[Aruba]], [[Australia]], [[Austria]], [[Bahamas]], [[Bahrain]], [[Barbados]], [[Belgium]], [[Belize]], [[Bermuda]], [[Brazil]], [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Brunei]], [[Canada]], [[Cayman Islands]],<ref>[[Bangkok Post]], 12 March 2010, p. B5</ref> [[Chile]], [[China]], [[Cook Islands]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Cyprus]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Dominica]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Gibraltar]], [[Greece]], [[Grenada]], [[Guernsey]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Hungary]], [[Iceland]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Israel]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Jersey]], [[South Korea]], [[Liberia]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Macao]], [[Malaysia]], [[Malta]], [[Marshall Islands]], [[Mauritius]], [[Mexico]], [[Monaco]], [[Montserrat]], [[Netherlands]], [[Netherlands Antilles]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[Pakistan]], [[Panama]], [[Philippines]], [[Poland]], [[Portugal]], [[Qatar]], [[Russian Federation|Russia]], [[St. Kitts and Nevis]], [[St. Lucia]], [[St. Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Samoa]], [[San Marino]], [[Seychelles]], [[Singapore]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], [[Turkey]], [[Turks and Caicos Islands]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[United Kingdom]], [[United States]], [[US Virgin Islands]], [[Vanuatu]]. This is not a complete list, as many countries, including Lebanon, Nigeria and many more are not included in this list.
* committed to the standard, but have not yet substantially implemented it: [[Nauru]], [[Niue]], [[Guatemala]], [[Uruguay]]
* have not committed to the standard: none as of October 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/0/43606256.pdf |title = A Progress Report on The Jurisdictions Surveyed by The OECD Global Forum in Implementing The Internationally Agreed Tax Standard|date = 20 October 2009|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014202853/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/0/43606256.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2009 |access-date = 5 November 2018}}</ref>

===Global forum compliance===
{{Further|Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes}}
The [[Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes]] reviews and issues reports on compliance of its member tax jurisdictions. The Global Forum's peer review process examines both the legal and regulatory aspects of exchange (Phase 1 reviews) and the exchange of information in practice (Phase 2).{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

===Other nations regularly accused of terror financing===
{{see also|Terrorism financing}}
{{Globalize |section|US|date=October 2025}}
Nations such as [[Bahrain]], [[Egypt]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[UAE]] and [[Qatar]] have been accused of not preventing the flow of funds for terror financing in other nations.<ref name="TerrorFinAccued1">[https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/qatar-saudi-arabia-uae-terrorism-middle-east-security-news-18271/ Qatar's Links to Terrorism: The War of Narratives], Fair Observer, 21 October 2019.</ref> In March 2022, the FATF added the UAE to its grey list of jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring, as it claims that the country is non-cooperative in the global fight against money laundering and terror financing.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barrington |first=Lisa |date=2022-03-04 |title=Financial crime watchdog adds UAE to 'grey' money laundering watch list |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fatf-adds-uae-grey-money-laundering-watchlist-2022-03-04/ |access-date=2022-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=England |first=Andrew |date=2022-03-04 |title=Financial crimes watchdog puts UAE on 'grey list' |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/7b93180f-c4ae-442d-bf71-60e340b736f0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211/https://www.ft.com/content/7b93180f-c4ae-442d-bf71-60e340b736f0 |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=2022-03-15}}</ref> Qatar, which has also been accused of supporting terrorists, was found by the FATF in a June 2023 report of having shown a government-wide effort to address ML/TF risks and to implement an effective targeted financial sanctions (TFS) regime.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ibish |first=Hussein |date=2023-10-20 |title=The Reckoning That Is Coming for Qatar |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/israel-gaza-conflict-qatar-hamas-muslim-brotherhood/675702/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowell & Moring LLP - Michael J. Gunnison |date=2023-06-13 |title=FATF Releases 2023 Mutual Evaluation Report on Qatar |url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=db27a062-fbe9-48a9-aae3-4dafd676afd9 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Lexology |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Economics}}
* [[Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering]]
* [[Hawala]]
* [[Informal value transfer system]]
* [[Remittance]]
* [[Riba]]
* [[Offshore financial centre]]
* [[Terrorism financing]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/ FATF "Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories"]
* [http://www.fatf-gafi.org/topics/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/more/aboutthenon-cooperativecountriesandterritoriesncctinitiative.html Annual Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories Initiative (NCCT) Reports]
* [http://www.fatf-gafi.org/pages/faq/generalquestions/ FATF's "NCCTs FAQ"]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fatf Blacklist}}
[[Category:Offshore finance]]
[[Category:Commercial crimes]]
[[Category:Financial regulation]]
[[Category:Tax evasion]]
[[Category:International finance]]
[[Category:International economics lists|FATF]]
[[Category:Anti–money laundering measures]]
[[Category:Funding of terrorism]]
[[Category:Taxation-related lists]]
[[Category:Blacklisting]]

Ramanathaswamy Temple

2026-09-13T06:19:43Z

BellaCH:

{{short description|Hindu temple in Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Ramanathaswamy Temple
| native_name = Arulmigu Sri Ramanathaswamy Tirukkoyil
| native_name_lang = 
| image = Ramanathaswamy temple7.JPG
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|9.288106|79.317282|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| country = {{flagicon|IND}} [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Ramanathapuram District|Ramanathapuram]]
| location = [[Rameswaram]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Ramanathaswamy ([[Shiva]]) Parvatavardhini ([[Parvati]])<br> [[Rama]]
| primary_deity_Godess =
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals =
| architecture = [[Tamil architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity =
| inscriptions =
| established =
| creator = Pandya and Jaffna kings
| website = [https://rameswaramramanathar.hrce.tn.gov.in/hrcehome/index_temple.php?tid=35671 rameswaramramanathar.hrce.tn.gov.in]
}}
{{Char Dham}}
'''Ramanathaswamy Temple''' (''Rāmanātasvāmi Kōyil'') is a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to the [[Hindu]] god [[Shiva]] located on [[Rameswaram island]] in the state of [[Tamil Nadu]], India. It is one of the twelve [[Jyotirlinga]] temples. It is one of the 276 [[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]s, the sacred sites glorified by the [[Nayanars]] ([[Saivite|Shaivite]] poet-saints), [[Appar]], [[Cuntarar|Sundarar]], and [[Campantar|Sambandar]], with their songs. According to tradition, the ''[[lingam]]'' (an aniconic form of Shiva) of the Ramanathaswamy Temple was established and worshipped by [[Lord Ram|Rama]] before he crossed the bridge called [[Adam's Bridge|Rama Setu]] to the island kingdom of [[Lanka]], identified with [[Sri Lanka]]. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by the [[Pandya Dynasty]], and its principal shrine’s sanctum was renovated by [[Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan]] and his successor [[Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan]], monarchs of the [[Jaffna kingdom]]. The temple has the longest corridor among all the Hindu temples of India. It was built by King Muthuramalinga Sethupathy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/king-rebel-remembered/article8415834.ece|title=King 'Rebel' remembered|newspaper=The Hindu|date=31 March 2016}}</ref><ref name=Meena/> The temple is considered a pilgrimage site for Shaivites, [[Vaishnavites]], and [[Smarthas|Smartas]].

==Legend==
In the [[Yuddha Kanda]] of the ''[[Ramayana]]'', on their journey back to [[Ayodhya (Ramayana)|Ayodhya]], Rama narrates to [[Sita]] the appearance and worship of Shiva in the form of a lingam on the island of Rameswaram before the construction of his bridge to Lanka. He describes the spot to be supremely sacred and capable of expiating major sins.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/valmiki-ramayana-gita-press-english |title=Valmiki Ramayana Gita Press English |pages=813 |language=English}}</ref>

In the ''[[Shiva Purana]]'', Rama propitiates Shiva on the shore of Rameswaram in the form of a lingam by the repetition of mantras, meditation, and dancing. Pleased, the deity appeared before Rama and granted his requested boon of victory over Ravana. Rama then requested the deity to remain on the island to sanctify the world and offer his grace to all people. The text states that the worship of the Rameshvara lingam offers worldly pleasures and salvation for its devotees.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Books |first=Kausiki |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Siva_Purana_Koti_Rudra_Samhitha_English/hfZLEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=&pg=PT182&printsec=frontcover |title=Siva Purana: Koti Rudra Samhitha: English Translation only without Slokas |date=2021-10-24 |publisher=Kausiki Books |pages=182-184 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
According to Firishta, [[Malik Kafur]], the head general of [[Alauddin Khalji]], the ruler of [[Delhi Sultanate]], reached Rameswaram during his political campaign in spite of stiff resistance from the [[Pandya dynasty|Pandyan princes]] in the early 14th century.{{sfn|Mehta|1986|p=157}}{{sfn|Sharon|Bosworth|Dozel|B.|1987|p=271}}{{sfn|Aiyangar|1991|p=112}} He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of [[Islam]].{{sfn|Mehta|1986|p=157}}{{sfn|Sharon|Bosworth|Dozel|B.|1987|p=271}} The records left by the court historians of the Delhi Sultanate state that Malik Kafur raided [[Madurai]], [[Chidambaram]], [[Srirangam]], [[Vriddhachalam]], Rameswaram and other sacred temple towns, destroyed the temples which were sources of gold and jewels. He brought back enormous loot from Dwarasamudra and the Pandya kingdom to [[Delhi]] in 1311.<ref name="Ernst2004p109">{{cite book|author=Carl W. Ernst| title=Eternal Garden: Mysticism, History, and Politics at a South Asian Sufi Center| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9bNAAQAAIAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566869-8|page=109}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Sarojini Chaturvedi|title=A short history of South India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qXcwAQAAIAAJ| year=2006|publisher= Saṁskṛiti|isbn=978-81-87374-37-4|page=209}}</ref><ref name="Eraly2015chid">{{cite book|author=Abraham Eraly|title=The Age of Wrath: A History of the Delhi Sultanate|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyEoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT155| year=2015|publisher= Penguin Books|isbn=978-93-5118-658-8|pages=155–156}}</ref>

The temple in its current form is believed to have been built during the 17th century, while Fergusson believes the small [[vimana]] in the west corridor belongs to the 11th or 12th century.<ref name="Cole"/> The temple is said to have been sanctioned for construction by King Kizhavan Sethupathi or [[Raghunatha Kilavan]]. The contribution of the [[Jaffna kingdom|Jaffna kings of Pandya Dynasty]] to the temple was considerable.<ref name="Bandopadhyay"/> King [[Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan]] (1380–1410 CE) shipped stone blocks from [[Koneswaram temple]], [[Trincomalee]] to renovate the temple's sanctum sanctorum. Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan's successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan (Pararacacekaran V), a trustee at Rameswaram who also oversaw structural development of this temple and the promotion of Saivite beliefs donated part of his revenue to Koneswaram. Especially to be remembered are the immense sums that were spent during the tenure of [[Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai]] towards the restoration of the Pagodas which were falling into ruins and the splendid Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameswaram that he finally completed. The rulers of Sri Lanka also contributed to the temple; [[Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa|Parakrama Bahu]] (1153–1186 CE) was involved in the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.<ref name="Bandopadhyay"/> Also, Sri Lankan king Nissanka Malla, contributed to the temple's development by making donations and sending workers.<ref>Sri Lanka in Early Indian Inscriptions, p. 5</ref>

Pappakudi a village was donated as a grant to Rameshwaram Temple and one Deva Venkala Perumal Ramanathar of Madurai Nayak king in (1667 CE) by Perumal Servaikaran Son of Sokkappan Servaikarar who belongs to Pandiyur. They are local Chieftain under Tirumalai Regunatha Sethupathy Rein in Ramnad Kingdom. The grant details are published by Government Press, Madras Presidency for Archeological Survey of India in 1885. Along with Pappakudi, Anandur and Urasur villages are also donated to Rameshwaram Temple. These Villages falls under Melaimakani Seermai province of Radhanallur Division.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burgess |first1=Jas |last2=Sastri |first2=S. M. (Tr.) |title=Archaeological Survey of Southern India, Vol. IV; Tamil and Sanskrit Inscriptions, with some Notes on Village Antiquites, collected chiefly in the South of the Madras Presidency |date=1886 |publisher=E. Keys, the Government Press |location=Madras}}</ref>

The temple is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites and has several historical references about it. The [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Maratha kings]] who ruled [[Thanjavur]] established ''chatrams'' or rest houses throughout [[Mayiladuthurai]] and [[Rameswaram]] between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated them to the temple.<ref name="M.">[[#M.|M. 2003]], p. 154</ref>

==Architecture==
[[File:Rameswaram temple (11).jpg|right|thumb|Image of the east and west temple towers]]
The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy ([[Shiva]]) in the form of ''[[lingam]]''.<ref name=Meena/> There are two lingams inside the sanctum - According to tradition, one built by Rama from sand, residing as the main deity, called the Ramalingam, and the one brought by Hanuman from [[Kailash]], called the Vishvalingam.<ref name="Bandopadhyay"/><ref name="Singh">[[#Singh|Singh 2009]], p. 18</ref> Rama is said to have instructed that the Vishvalingam be worshipped first since it was brought by Hanuman—the tradition continues even today.<ref name="Bandopadhyay"/>

Like all ancient temples in [[South India]], there is a high compound wall (madil) on all four sides of the temple premises measuring about 865 feet furlong from east to west and one furlong of 657 feet from north to south with huge towers ([[Gopurams]]) to the east and the west and finished gate towers to the north and south. The temple has striking long corridors in its interior, running between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high.<ref name="Cole">[[#Cole|Cole 1885]], pp. clxvi-clxvii</ref>

{{Multiple image
|total_width=800
|align=centre
|direction=horizontal
|image1=Plate 8. Procession Religieuse dans les Galeries du Convent de Ramisseram pres Ceylan (Juin 1841).jpg
|caption1=Historic image from 1841 of the temple corridor, as sketched by [[Alexey Saltykov (1806–1859)|Prince Alexey Saltykov]]
|image2=43Rameswaram The Great Corridor.jpg
|caption2=A historic image from 1913 of the temple corridor. The corridor is the longest for any Hindu temple in India
|image3=3rd Corridor, Ramnath Swamy Temple, Rameswarm.jpg
|caption3=A modern image of the temple corridor
}}

The second corridor is formed by sandstone pillars, beams, and ceiling. The junction of the third corridor on the west and the paved way leading from the western gopuram to the Setumadhava shrine forms a unique structure in the form of a chess board, popularly known as Chokkattan Madapam, where the [[Utsavar|Utsava deities]] are adorned and kept during the [[Vasanthotsavam]] (Spring festival) and on the 6th day festival in Adi (July–August) and Masi (February–March) conducted by the [[Sethupathi]] of [[Ramnad]].

The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world, measuring about 6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east and west and about 640 feet in the north and the south. The inner corridors are about 224 feet each in the east and the west and about 352 feet each in the north and the south.<ref name="Ramamurthy"/> Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet.<ref name="Bandopadhyay">[[#Bandopadhyay|Bandopadhyay]], pp. 88-89</ref><ref name="Ramamurthy"/> The total length of these corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the outer corridor.<ref name="Ramamurthy"/> Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof. The main tower or ''rajagopuram'' is 53 m tall.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|pages=11–12}}</ref> Most pillars are carved with individual compositions.<ref name="Ramamurthy">[[#T.|T. 2007]], p. 28</ref>
At the beginning, Ramanathaswamy Temple was a thatched shed. The present structure was the work of many individuals spread over a number of centuries. The pride of place in the establishment of the Temple goes to the Setupatis of Ramanathapuram. In the seventeenth century, Dalavai Setupati built a portion of the main eastern Gopuram. In the late eighteenth century, the world-famous third corridor was constructed by Muthuramalinga Setupati who lived for forty-nine years and ruled between 1763 and 1795. The corridor was called "Chokkatan Mandapam". The Mukhya Pradhani (Chief Minister) was Muthuirullappa Pillai and the Chinna Pradhani (Deputy Chief Minister) was Krishna Iyengar. The Setupati's statue and those of his two ''Pradhanis'' (ministers) can be seen at the western entrance to the third corridor.

The composite columns of [[Virabhadra]] holding sword and horn are found be additions of the Vijayanagara kings during the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are built by Madurai Nayak kings in [[Adikesava Perumal Temple, Kanyakumari|Adikesava Perumal Temple]] at Thiruvattaru, [[Meenakshi Temple]] at [[Madurai]], [[Nellaiappar Temple]] at [[Tirunelveli]], [[Kasi Viswanathar temple, Tenkasi|Kasi Viswanathar temple]] at [[Tenkasi]], [[Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple]], [[Soundararajaperumal temple, Thadikombu|Soundararajaperumal temple]] at [[Thadikombu]], [[Srivilliputhur Andal temple]], [[Srivaikuntanathan Permual temple]] at [[Srivaikuntam]], [[Tirupperunturai|Avudayarkovil]], [[Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple]] at [[Thirukkurungudi]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Imperial Frontiers: Building Sacred Space in Sixteenth-Century South India|jstor=20619601|last=Branfoot|first=Crispin |journal=The Art Bulletin|volume=90|issue=2|date=1 June 2008|page=186|publisher=College Art Association|doi=10.1080/00043079.2008.10786389|s2cid=154135978}}</ref>

[[File:Ramanathaswamy Temple Rameswaram (2).jpg|thumb|150px|a shrine dedicated to [[Nandi (Hinduism)|Nandi]] (Nandishvara)]]

There are separate shrines for Ramanathaswamy and his consort goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a corridor.<ref name="Cole"/> There are separate shrines for the goddess [[Vishalakshi Temple|Vishalakshi]], the ''utsava'' images, ''sayanagriha'', [[Vishnu]] and [[Ganesha]]. The samadhi of the great Yogi [[Patanjali]] is said to be at this temple and there is a separate shrine for him here. There are various halls inside the temple, namely Anuppu Mandapam, Sukravara Mandapam, Setupati Mandapam, Kalyana Mandapam, and Nandi Mandapam.

===Temple Tanks===
{{main|Tirthas of Rameswaram}}
[[File:Ramesw1.jpg|right|thumb|Agni Theertham - the primary sea shore associated with the temple]]
There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of [[Rameswaram]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]].<ref name="jcmurali">[[#Murali|Murali 2000]], p. 574</ref> According to [[Skanda Purana|Skānda Purāṇa]], twenty-four of them are important.<ref name="skaanda24">[[#Setu|Setu Māhātmyam]], Adhyāya 2, verse 104</ref> Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance.<ref>[[#Setu|Setu Māhātmyam]], Adhyāya 1, verse 24</ref> Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the [[Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram|Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple]].<ref name="seturaman">[[#Seturaman|Seturaman 2001]], p. 216</ref> The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver.<ref name="Singh"/> The first and major one is called Agni Theertham, the sea ([[Bay of Bengal]]).<ref name=Meena/>

Rameswaram is one of the few temples that has the distinction of being the stala, Murthy, Theertham. Ramanathaswamy Temple Theertham is very special. There are 22 theerthams in the form of a pond and a well. These 22 theerthams represent the 22 arrows of Sri Rama.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Top Ten Temple Towns of India|publisher=Mark Age Publication|first=S.C.|last=Karkar|location=Kolkota|isbn=978-81-87952-12-1|year=2009|page=38}}</ref>

==Significance today==

===Char Dham===
[[File:Shri Shankaracharya.jpg|right|thumb|[[Adi Sankara]], the guru of [[Advaita]], who is believed to have started the [[Char Dham]]s]]
The temple is one of the holiest [[Hindu]] ''[[Char Dham]]'' (four divine sites) sites comprising [[Badrinath]], [[Puri]], [[Dwarka]] and [[Rameshwaram]].<ref>Chakravarti 1994, p. 140</ref> Though the origins are not clearly known, the [[Advaita]] school of Hinduism established by [[Sankaracharya]], who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.<ref>[[#Mittal|Mittal 2004]], p. 482</ref> The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are [[Badrinath Temple]] at Badrinath in the North, [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannath Temple]] at Puri in the East, [[Dwarkadheesh temple, Gujrat|Dwarakadheesh Temple]] at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. The temples are revered by the various spiritual traditions of Hinduism, such as [[Saivism]] and [[Vaishnavism]]. The Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair.<ref name="Brockman">[[#Brockman|Brockman 2011]], pp. 94-96</ref> The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime.<ref name="Gwynne">[[#Gwynne|Gwynne 2008]], Section on Char Dham</ref> Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circumambulation in Hindu temples.<ref name="Gwynne"/>

===Jyotirlinga===
As per the [[Shiva Purana]], once, [[Brahma]] (the god of creation) and [[Vishnu]] (the god of preservation) had an argument in terms of their supremacy in creation.<ref name="R.">[[#R.|R. 2003]], pp. 92-95</ref> To settle their dispute, [[Shiva]] pierced the three worlds as a huge and endless pillar of light called the ''jyotirlinga''. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he discovered the end of the pillar in his direction, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The ''jyotirlinga'' is regarded to be the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The ''jyotirlinga'' shrines are believed to be the places where Shiva is said to have appeared as a fiery column of light.<ref name="Gwynne"/><ref>[[#Eck|Eck 1999]], p. 107</ref> Originally, there were believed to have been 64 ''jyotirlingas,'' of which the present 12 are considered to be sacred to Shiva.<ref name="R."/> Each of the twelve ''jyotirlinga'' sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered a different manifestation of Shiva.<ref name="Lochtefeld">[[#Lochtefeld|Lochtefeld 2002]], pp. 324-325</ref> At all these sites, the primary image is the ''[[lingam]]'' representing the ''[[stambha]]'' pillar, symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva (without beginning or end).<ref name="Lochtefeld"/><ref name="E. U. Harding">[[#Harding|Harding 1998]], pp. 158-158</ref><ref name="paris_congress">[[#Vivekananda|Vivekananda]] Vol. 4</ref> The twelve ''jyotirlinga'' are [[Somnath temple|Somnath]] at [[Veraval]] in [[Gujarat]], [[Mallikarjuna Swamy|Mallikarjuna]] at [[Srisailam]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleswar]] at [[Ujjain]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Omkareshwar]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]] in [[Himalayas]], [[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankar]] in [[Maharashtra]], [[Kasi Viswanath Temple|Viswanath]] at [[Varanasi]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Triambakeshwar]] in Maharashtra, [[Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deogarh|Vaidyanath]] at [[Deoghar]] in [[Jharkhand]], [[Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka|Nageswar]] at [[Dwarka]] in [[Gujarat]], Rameshwar at [[Rameswaram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Grishneshwar]] at [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra]].<ref name="R."/><ref name="Chaturvedi">[[#Chaturvedi|Chaturvedi 2006]], pp. 58-72</ref> This temple is the southernmost of all the twelve Jyotirlingas.<ref name=Diwakar>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Macherla|last=Diwakar|location=Chennai|year=2011|edition=1st|pages=158–9|isbn=978-93-83440-34-4|publisher=Techno Book House}}</ref>

==In the news==
The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department]] of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tnhrce.org/hrce_act_1959.html |title=Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 |access-date=3 August 2021 |archive-date=6 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206095720/http://www.tnhrce.org/hrce_act_1959.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The temple comes under the renovation and consecration of the 630 temples planned by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Zee">[[#Zee|Zee News 2012]]</ref> Temple authorities had planned to renovate and widen the pathways to the 22 holy ''theerthams'' of the temple.<ref name="Zee" /> The consecration of the temple was planned during 2013.<ref name="Zee" /> The temple is among those offering free meals under the Free Meals Scheme of the government, which provides meals to devotees of the temple. A pilgrim house is planned by the government to extend the scheme to more pilgrims.<ref name="Zee" />

==See also==
* [[Tirthas of Rameswaram]]
* [[Dhanushkodi]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Aiyangar |first=Krishnaswami S. |title=South India and Her Muhammadan Invaders |year=1991 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-206-0536-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w6zkx_Ck3FwC&q=ramesvaram&pg=PA101 }}
* {{cite book|last=Mittal|first=Sushil|title=The Hindu World|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=0-203-64470-0|ref=Mittal}}
* {{cite book|last=Jones|first=Constance|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|year=2007|publisher=Infobase Publishing|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8160-5458-9|ref=Jones}}
*{{cite book|last=Bandopadhyay|first=Manohar|title=Tourist destinations in India|year=2010|publisher=Oriental Books|location=Delhi|isbn=978-93-8094-400-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z-PaxM04v9wC&q=ramanathaswamy+temple&pg=PA88|ref=Bandopadhyay}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*{{cite book |last=Brockman |first=Norbert C. |title=Encyclopedia of Sacred Places |year=2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO, LLC |location=California |isbn=978-1-59884-655-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNZ15Oow8XcC&q=char+dham&pg=PA94 |ref=Brockman }}
*{{cite book|last=Chaturvedi|first=B. K.|year=2006|title=Shiv Purana|place=New Delhi|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd|edition=First|isbn=81-7182-721-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bchgql0em9YC&q=jyotirlinga&pg=PA58|ref=Chaturvedi}}
*{{cite book|last=Chakravarti|first=Mahadev|year=1994|title=The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages|place=Delhi|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|edition=Second Revised|isbn=81-208-0053-2|ref=Chakravarti}}
*{{cite book|last=Cole|first=Henry Hardy|year=1885|title=Preservation of National Monuments - First Report of the Curator of Ancient Monuments in India for the year 1883-84|publisher=The Government Central Branch Press, Calcutta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JiUAAAAAQAAJ&q=rameshwaram+temple&pg=PR167|ref=Cole}}
*{{cite book|last=Eck|first=Diana L.|year=1999|title=Banaras, city of light|place=New York|publisher=Columbia University Press|edition=First|isbn=0-231-11447-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J57C4d8Bv6UC&q=jyotirlinga&pg=PA107|ref=Eck}}
*{{cite book|last=Gwynne|first=Paul|title=World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction|year=2009|publisher=Blackwell Publication|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1-4051-6702-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tdsRKc_knZoC&q=char+dham&pg=PT271|ref=Gwynne}}
* {{cite book|title=Hindu Pilgrimage Centres|last=Harshananda|first=Swami|ref=Harsha|edition=second|publisher=Ramakrishna Math|location=Bangalore|year=2012|isbn=978-81-7907-053-6}}
*{{cite book | last = Lochtefeld | first = James G. | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M | year = 2002 | publisher = Rosen Publishing Group | isbn = 0-8239-3179-X | page = [https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/n375 122] | url = https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch | url-access = registration | ref = Lochtefeld }}
*{{cite book|title=Tamil Nadu: an unfinished task|pages=170|last=M.|first=Thangaraj|isbn=978-0-7619-9780-1|publisher=SAGE|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P5uuxWfk8NIC&q=rameshwaram+temple&pg=PA154|ref=M.}}
*{{cite book |last1=Mehta |first1=Jaswant Lal |title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India: 1000-1526 A.D |date=1986 |publisher=Sterling Publishers |isbn=978-81-207-0573-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82puAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last= Murali |first= J. C.|title= Tamizhaga Sivatalangal |year=2000 |publisher= Chatura Padipakkam |location= Chennai|ref=Murali}}
*{{cite book|last=R.|first=Venugopalam|year=2003|title=Meditation: Any Time Any Where|place=Delhi|publisher=B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.|edition=First|isbn=81-8056-373-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtnNw_hiA9oC&q=jyotirlinga&pg=PT113|ref=R.}}
*{{cite book |title= Setu Māhātmyam (Skānda Purāṇa Book 3:Chapter 1 (Bramha Khaṇḍa:Setu Māhātmyam) )
|title-link= Skanda Purana|ref=Setu }}
*{{cite book |last= Seturaman |first= K|title= Rameswaram Koil |year=2001 |publisher= J. J. Publications |location= Madurai|ref=Seturaman}}
*{{cite book|title=Studies in Islamic History and Civilization: In Honour of Professor David Ayalon|last1=Sharon|first1=Moshe|first2=C.E.|last2=Bosworth|first3=E.Von|last3=Dozel|last4=B.|first4=Lewis|first5=C.H.|last5=Pellat|year=1987|publisher=BRILL|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0_wUAAAAIAAJ&q=rameswaram+history&pg=PA271|isbn=9789652640147}}
*{{cite book|title=Yatra2Yatra|last=Singh|first=Sanjay|publisher=Yatra2Yatra|page=18|year=2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kWqPwWpkhg0C&q=rameshwaram+temple&pg=PA18|isbn=978-81-908569-0-4|ref=Singh}}
*{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Sarina|year=2009|title=South India (Lonely Planet Regional Guide)|publisher=Lonely Planet|edition=5th|isbn=978-1-74179-155-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8KnLFpjEHpUC&q=ramanathaswamy+temple&pg=PA443|ref=Singh}}
*{{cite news|title=Shortage of priests at Rameswaram temple|author=S.P. Loganathan|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|date=16 February 2012|access-date=19 February 2012|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/others/shortage-priests-rameswaram-temple-639|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111175904/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/others/shortage-priests-rameswaram-temple-639|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 November 2023}}
*{{cite book|last=T.|first=Ramamurthy|year=2007|title=Engineering in Rocks For Slopes Foundations And Tunnels|place=Delhi|publisher=PHI Learning Private Limited|edition=2bd|isbn=978-81-203-3275-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ls1MSleftQ8C&q=rameshwaram+temple&pg=PA28|ref=T.}}
*{{cite book|last=Vivekananda|first=Swami|title=The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda|chapter=The Paris Congress of the History of Religions|chapter-url=http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_4/translation_prose/the_paris_congress.htm|volume=4|ref=Vivekananda}}
*{{cite news|title=Renovation & consecration completed in 630 temples|author=Zee News|newspaper=Zee News|date=20 February 2012|access-date=19 February 2012|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/tamil-nadu/renovation-and-consecration-completed-in-630-temples_759073.html}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Ramanathaswamy Temple}}
{{Shaivism}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Ramanathapuram district]]
[[Category:Char Dham temples]]
[[Category:Jyotirlingas]]
[[Category:Padal Petra Stalam]]
[[Category:Rameswaram]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Hindu temples sacked in the Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent]]
[[es:Ramanatha Swami]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Ramanathapuram district]]
[[Category:Shaivism]]

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BRICS Pay

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BellaCH: Created page with "{{Short description|Distributed payment messaging mechanism system}} {{Promotional|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = BRICS PAY | logo = File:BRICS_Pay_logo.png | logo_class = logo-nobg | type = | slogan = | founded = | hq_location = | num_employees = | industry = Telecommunications | products = Financial telecommunication | website = {{official URL}} }} {{Banking|transfer}} '''BRICS Pay..."

{{Short description|Distributed payment messaging mechanism system}}
{{Promotional|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox company
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| logo = File:BRICS_Pay_logo.png
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| slogan =
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| industry = Telecommunications
| products = [[Financial]] [[telecommunication]]
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{{Banking|transfer}}

'''BRICS Pay''' (stylized as '''BRICS PAY''') is a decentralized and independent [[payment system|payment messaging mechanism system]] that is affiliated with the [[BRICS]] organization.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-23 |title=China backs Russia-proposed BRICS payment system |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/china-backs-russia-proposed-brics-payment-system-/7836865.html |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=BRICS Pay vs US dollar vs Euro? What we know so far |url=https://gulfnews.com/special-reports/brics-pay-vs-us-dollar-vs-euro-what-we-know-so-far-1.1730120959279 |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref>

==System==
The project is a joint venture developed by the BRICS member states to receive and make payments in their own local currencies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-24 |title=BRICS payment system would not replace SWIFT -S. Africa finance minister |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/brics-payment-system-would-not-replace-swift-safrica-finance-minister-2023-08-24/ |first1=Kopano |last1=Gumbi |first2=Promit |last2=Mukherjee |first3=Anait |last3=Miridzhanian |editor-first1=Joe |editor-last1=Bavier |editor-first2=Nick |editor-last2=Zieminski |access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Zongyuan Zoe |last2=Papa |first2=Mihaela |date=February 2022 |title=Can BRICS De-dollarize the Global Financial System? |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/can-brics-dedollarize-the-global-financial-system/0AEF98D2F232072409E9556620AE09B0 |via=Cambridge Core |journal=Elements in the Economics of Emerging Markets |language=en |doi=10.1017/9781009029544|doi-access=free |isbn=978-1-009-02954-4 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240205143121/https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/can-brics-dedollarize-the-global-financial-system/0AEF98D2F232072409E9556620AE09B0 |archive-date= Feb 5, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-11-14 |title=Russia says BRICS nations favour idea of common payment system |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-brics-summit-russia-fx-idUSKBN1XO1KQ |first1=Andrey |last1=Ostroukh |editor-first1=Edmund |editor-last1=Blair |access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-12 |title=BRICS countries could launch integrated payment system |url=https://www.intellinews.com/brics-countries-could-launch-integrated-payment-system-157788/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=bne IntelliNews |language=en}}</ref> The venture was launched in 2018 by the BRICS Business Council. The team that cooperatively runs BRICS PAY consists of financial, banking technology experts from the four founding nations of BRICS, as well as South Africa.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harsono |first1=Hugh |title=Indonesia's digital payment platform can help BRICS rival SWIFT |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/opinion/indonesia-s-digital-payment-platform-can-help-brics-rival-swift |access-date=16 October 2025 |work=Nikkei Asia |date=21 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The purpose of BRICS PAY is to make international payments more safe, transparent, less costly and complicated, encouraging international cooperation between the quickly expanding BRICS members.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS PAY |url=https://brics-pay.com/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=brics-pay.com}}</ref>

On October 23, 2024, [[China]] fully backed BRICS PAY.<ref name=":0" />

=== BRICS DCMS ===
BRICS PAY will feature a decentralized Cross-border messaging system (DCMS), developed by scientists of the Center of [[Saint Petersburg State University|Saint-Petersburg State University]] of [[Russia]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} DCMS operates transparently, without any central owner or hub. Participants manage their own nodes, allegedly making the system resistant to external abuse, control, or interference. The system does not feature mandatory transaction fees, but allows participants to optionally charge one another if they choose to. DCMS automatically builds transaction routes between participants, aiming to ensure reliable communication even in cases where direct transmission is unavailable. The goal is to minimize settlement imbalances between counterparties. Messages will be encrypted and signed, with multiple encryption mechanisms available. Participants can establish currency conversion rates and transaction limits. With recommended settings, DCMS claims to reach 20,000 messages per second, while on the other hand imposing minimal hardware requirements. DCMS is also planned to be open source, after passing the piloting phase. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-23 |title=DCLS-EN1 |url=https://brics-pay.com/files/DCMS-EN1.pdf |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=BRICS DCMS |archive-date=2025-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101144450/https://www.brics-pay.com/files/DCMS-EN1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The member states view BRICS Pay to promote trade among its members, financial inclusion, and as a direction to reduce their reliance on the US dollar.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Pistilli |first=Melissa |date=6 January 2025 |title=How Would a New BRICS Currency Affect the US Dollar? |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/how-would-new-brics-currency-affect-us-dollar-updated-2025 |access-date=10 February 2025 |website=Nasdaq}}</ref> Russia has been the strongest proponent of BRICS Pay, to bypass the SWIFT network and the US dollar transactions, but it was sanctioned from following its invasion of Ukraine.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Freidin |first=Evan |date=31 Dec 2024 |title=BRICS Pay as a challenge to SWIFT network {{!}} Lowy Institute |url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/brics-pay-challenge-swift-network |access-date=10 February 2025 |website=www.lowyinstitute.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2022 |title=Russia calls for integrating BRICS payment systems |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russia-calls-integrating-brics-payment-systems-2022-04-09/ |access-date=10 February 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref> [[Iran]], also under US sanctions, sees this as a top national priority.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> [[Brazil]]'s president [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva|Lula da Silva]] also supported the mechanism, stating that "the multipolar order we aim for is reflected in the international financial system" and suggested a BRICS currency.<ref name=":1" />

Kazan Declaration of October 2024 recognised the benefits of cross-border payment instruments to minimise "trade barriers and non-discriminatory access" and the use of local currencies in financial transactions between BRICS countries and their trading partners",<ref>{{Cite news |title=BRICS summit: Key takeaways from the Kazan declaration |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/factobox-main-points-brics-declaration-2024-10-23/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106013136/https://www.reuters.com/world/factobox-main-points-brics-declaration-2024-10-23/ |archive-date=2025-01-06 |access-date=10 February 2025 |work=Reuters |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> without commitments to a unified currency.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Posts misleadingly claim Russian leader unveiled BRICS banknote to member countries in Kazan |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36L78UF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121080833/https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36L78UF |archive-date=21 November 2024 |access-date=10 February 2025 |work=AFP |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Banks}}

* [[mBridge]]
* [[Bilateral key exchange]] and the new Relationship Management Application (RMA)
* [[Cross-Border Interbank Payment System]] (CIPS)
* [[Dedollarisation]]
* [[Electronic money]]
* [[Indian Financial System Code]] (IFSC)
* [[Single Euro Payments Area]] (SEPA)
* [[Sibos (conference)|Sibos]] conference
* [[SWIFT]]
* [[TIPANET]]
* [[Value transfer system]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{BRICS}}

[[Category:BRICS]]
[[Category:Payment systems]]

BRICS PAY

2026-09-13T04:55:56Z

BellaCH: Redirected page to BRICS Pay

#Redirect [[BRICS Pay]]

18th BRICS summit

2026-09-13T04:53:11Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|2026 international summit in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2026}}
{{Infobox summit meeting
|name = 2026 BRICS Summit
|other_titles = 18th BRICS Summit
|image =
|logo = 18ª BRICS Summit 2026, New Delhi, India.png
|logo_size = 250px
|alt = BRICS 2026 Indian Presidency logo
|caption = Logo of BRICS during India’s 2026 presidency
|country = {{flag|India}}
|date = 12–13 September 2026
|motto = ''Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability''<ref name="BRICS2026official">{{cite web |title=BRICS India 2026 |url=https://www.brics2026.gov.in/ |website=BRICS India 2026 |publisher=Government of India |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>
|venues = [[Bharat Mandapam]]
|cities = [[New Delhi]]
|participants = {{BRA}}<br/>{{CHN}}<br/>{{EGY}}<br/>{{ETH}}<br/>{{IND}}<br/>{{IDN}}<br/>{{IRN}}<br/>{{RUS}}<br/>{{RSA}}<br/>{{UAE}}
|chairperson = [[Narendra Modi]], [[Prime Minister of India]]
|follows = [[17th BRICS summit|17th]]
|precedes = [[19th BRICS summit|19th]]
|website = {{URL|https://brics2026.gov.in}}
|compactnav = yes
|keypoints = Adoption of the '''New Delhi Declaration'''; global-governance reform; Middle East de-escalation; trade, payments and development cooperation
}}
The '''18th BRICS Summit''' is being held at [[Bharat Mandapam]] in [[New Delhi]], India from 12–13 September 2026 under India's 2026 [[BRICS]] chairship.<ref name="PIBoverview">{{cite web |title=BRICS: Evolution, Cooperation and India's Leadership |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2308611&lang=1&reg=3 |website=[[Press Information Bureau]] |publisher=Government of India |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> It brings together delegations from the BRICS members, partner countries, invitees and several international organisations. The summit is chaired by [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Narendra Modi]] and is organised under the theme ''Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability''.<ref name="PIBoverview"/>

The leaders' summit was preceded on 11 September by the BRICS Business Forum, also held at Bharat Mandapam, while the two-day leaders' programme comprises a closed meeting of BRICS members, an expanded open session with partner countries and outreach participants, a visit to the Bharat Innovates exposition, bilateral meetings and ceremonial events.<ref name="schedule">{{cite news |title=18th BRICS Summit 2026: Check full schedule of leaders’ meetings, key sessions at Bharat Mandapam |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/brics-summit-2026-check-full-schedule-of-leaders-meetings-key-sessions-at-bharat-mandapam-554289-2026-09-09 |work=Business Today |date=9 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> On 12 September, the BRICS members unanimously adopted the '''New Delhi Declaration''', a 140-paragraph consensus document covering global-governance reform, international conflicts, trade and finance, energy and climate policy, technology, health, agriculture and people-to-people cooperation.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration">{{cite web |title=BRICS New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability |url=https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/322C608779C3EE82D80D8869B7D797096FDC352E |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, Government of India |via=Public Technologies |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="ReutersDeclaration">{{cite news |title=BRICS adopts joint declaration, urges 'maximum restraint' in Mideast |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/brics-adopts-joint-declaration-urges-maximum-restraint-mideast-2026-09-12/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

== Background ==
BRICS was formalised through meetings of Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 and held its first leaders' summit in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010 and first participated in a summit in 2011. The grouping expanded substantially in 2024 and 2025. By 2026, official BRICS and Indian government sources listed eleven members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, [[Saudi Arabia]], South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, as well as ten partner countries: [[Belarus]], [[Bolivia]], [[Cuba]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Malaysia]], [[Nigeria]], [[Thailand]], [[Uganda]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Vietnam]].<ref name="PIBoverview"/>

=== Indian presidency ===
India assumed the BRICS presidency on 1 January 2026, succeeding Brazil.<ref name="PIBoverview"/> India framed its presidency around four priorities represented by the acronym of its summit theme: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. According to the Indian government, the presidency sought to strengthen institutional effectiveness, advance the interests of the [[Global South]], and promote practical cooperation in development, technology, trade and sustainability.<ref name="PIBoverview"/>

=== Logo and official website ===
The Government of India launched the official logo and website for the BRICS 2026 presidency, on 13 January 2026, marking the formal commencement of preparations for the summit.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-13 |title=‘Weathering global shocks’: Jaishankar lays out India’s BRICS strategy amid dual-tariff pressure from US |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jaishankar-india-brics-strategy-tariff-us-10471039/ |access-date=2026-01-13 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Venue ==
[[File:Bharat Mandapam Morning View.jpg|thumb|[[Bharat Mandapam]] at [[Pragati Maidan]], venue of the summit]]
The summit is being held at [[Bharat Mandapam]], the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre at [[Pragati Maidan]] in New Delhi.<ref name="venueSummit">{{cite web |title=Convention Centre - BMCC |url=https://www.itpo.gov.in/explore-venues/convention-centers |publisher=[[India Trade Promotion Organisation]] |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> The complex was inaugurated in July 2023 and was subsequently the venue of the [[2023 G20 New Delhi summit]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PM inaugurates International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre - ‘Bharat Mandapam’ |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1943070&lang=2&reg=48 |website=[[Press Information Bureau]] |publisher=Government of India |date=26 July 2023 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=G20 Summit, New Delhi |url=https://www.g20.in/en/g20-india-2023/new-delhi-summit/new-delhi-summit.html |website=G20 India |publisher=Government of India |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

The convention centre can accommodate up to 7,000 delegates in a single configuration and contains plenary, multipurpose and meeting halls as well as dedicated VIP facilities.<ref name="venueSummit"/>

== Programme ==
=== BRICS Business Forum ===
The BRICS Business Forum was held at [[Bharat Mandapam]], New Delhi on 11 September, on the eve of the leaders' summit. It brought together representatives of governments, businesses, financial institutions, startups, the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women's Business Alliance from member and partner countries.<ref name="businessforum">{{cite web |title=BRICS Business Forum |url=https://www.bricsbusiness.ru/en/brics-india-2026/business-forum/ |website=BRICS Business Council |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=President Ramaphosa arrives in India for the 18th BRICS Summit |url=https://dirco.gov.za/president-ramaphosa-arrives-in-india-for-the18th-brics-summit/ |publisher=Department of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

The forum's programme consisted of five sectoral panels followed by a leaders' session.<ref name="businessforum"/>

At the leaders' session, Indian PM Modi called for the BRICS business community to identify major barriers to intra-BRICS trade, support the international expansion of startups and create additional cross-border business partnerships. He also highlighted initiatives developed under India's chairship, including a BRICS Incubator Network, a BRICS MSME Portal and a BRICS [[Startup]] Innovation Fund, and stressed the importance of secure [[sea lanes]] and supply routes for global trade.<ref>{{cite web |title=PM’s address at the BRICS Business Forum 2026 |url=https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-address-at-the-brics-business-forum-2026/ |website=Prime Minister of India |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

=== Bharat Innovates exposition ===
The BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition is being held on 11–12 September alongside the Business Forum and the leaders' summit. Organised by India's [[Ministry of Education (India)|Ministry of Education]] in coordination with the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]], it showcases 37 Indian deep-technology startups and ventures and is intended to connect startups, research institutions and laboratories with investors, corporations and other international partners.<ref name="BharatInnovates">{{cite news |title=BRICS 2026: 37 Indian deep-tech innovators showcase technologies at Bharat Mandapam |url=https://ddindia.co.in/2026/09/brics-2026-37-indian-deep-tech-innovators-showcase-technologies-at-bharat-mandapam/ |work=DD India |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

The exposition forms part of India's education-track priority on research, innovation and startup ecosystems. BRICS leaders visited the exhibition during the first day of the summit.<ref name="schedule"/>

=== Leaders' programme ===
The formal leaders' programme takes place over 12 and 13 September. The first day is centred on a closed plenary restricted to BRICS members, while the second-day open plenary expands participation to partner countries, invitees and representatives of international organisations.<ref name="summitItinerary">{{cite news |title=BRICS Summit 2026: Dates, venue, timings and complete itinerary |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/brics-summit-2026-dates-venue-timings-and-complete-itinerary-11788941919316.html |work=Mint |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! Event
! Participants
|-
! rowspan="5" | 12 September
| Arrival and official welcome of BRICS leaders
| BRICS members
|-
| '''Closed plenary:''' ''Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism''
| BRICS members
|-
| Visit to the [[#Bharat Innovates exposition|Bharat Innovates exposition]]
| Leaders of BRICS member countries
|-
| Family photograph and joint tree-planting ceremony
| Leaders of BRICS member countries
|-
| Gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]]
| Summit participants
|-
! rowspan="3" | 13 September
| Arrival and official welcome of partner countries and outreach delegations
| BRICS partner countries and invitees
|-
|Family photograph and '''Open plenary:''' ''Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth''
| BRICS members, partner countries, invitees and representatives of international organisations
|}

During the closed plenary on 12 September, the leaders discussed reform of global governance and multilateral institutions, economic cooperation and major international and regional developments. The session culminated in the adoption by consensus of the '''New Delhi Declaration'''.<ref></ref>

Following the plenary, the leaders visited the Bharat Innovates exposition and participated in the official family photograph and joint tree-planting ceremony before attending a gala dinner hosted by Modi.<ref name="summitItinerary"/>

The open plenary on 13 September brings together BRICS members with partner countries, invitees and international organisations. Its theme, '''Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth''', reflects the four priorities of India's 2026 BRICS presidency.<ref name="summitItinerary"/>

== Agenda ==
The summit agenda includes reform of global governance and multilateral institutions, trade and investment, food and energy security, public health, disaster resilience and the resilience of critical supply chains.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brics summit in Delhi on September 12-13: Agenda, schedule and other details |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/brics-summit-in-delhi-on-september-12-13-agenda-schedule-and-other-details/articleshow/133973488.cms |work=The Times of India |date=9 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> Leaders also discussed geopolitical conflicts, disruptions to maritime commerce and energy routes, and measures to expand economic cooperation among BRICS states.<ref name="ReutersSummit">{{cite news |title=India hosts BRICS summit as Iran war tests bloc unity |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/india-hosts-brics-summit-iran-war-tests-bloc-unity-2026-09-10/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

Economic discussions included improving interoperability between payment systems, expanding the use of national and central-bank digital currencies in cross-border payments, and developing new cooperation frameworks for startups and logistics.<ref>{{cite news |title=India to push BRICS digital currency link despite hurdles, sources say |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/india-push-brics-digital-currency-link-despite-hurdles-sources-say-2026-09-10/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> Initiatives considered by leaders included a BRICS Incubator Network, a Startup Innovation Fund and a Logistics Supply-Chain Cooperation Framework.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leaders set to fine-tune incubator network, startup fund, supply chain cooperation framework |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/leaders-set-to-fine-tune-incubator-network-startup-fund-supply-chain-cooperation-framework-10872693/ |work=The Indian Express |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

The summit takes place amid the continuing war involving Iran, Israel and the United States, the war in Ukraine, high energy prices and trade tensions. Differences among some BRICS members, particularly Iran and the United Arab Emirates, had been identified before the summit as a challenge to achieving consensus on geopolitical language; the members nevertheless unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration on 12 September.<ref name="ReutersSummit"/>

== New Delhi Declaration ==
On 12 September, the BRICS members unanimously adopted the '''New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'''.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/><ref name="ReutersDeclaration"/> The declaration contains 140 numbered paragraphs and reaffirms the grouping's three broad pillars of political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. It also records more than 400 meetings and engagements held in 30 Indian cities during India's 2026 chairship.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/>

=== Global governance and international conflicts ===
The declaration called for a more representative multilateral system and greater participation by emerging and developing countries in international institutions. It reiterated support for [[Reform of the United Nations Security Council|reform]] of the [[United Nations]] and other global bodies and argued that the international system should better reflect contemporary economic and political realities.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/>

On the conflict in the Middle East, the members expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions and called for "maximum restraint", protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a long-term settlement through dialogue and diplomacy.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/><ref name="ReutersDeclaration"/> The document reiterated support for humanitarian access in Gaza and for [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East|UNRWA]].<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/> On the [[Russo-Ukrainian War|war in and around Ukraine]], the declaration recalled the members' differing national positions and welcomed mediation and good-offices proposals aimed at a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Summit Resolutions |url=https://www.bricsri.co.za/summit-resolutions/ |publisher=BRICS Research Institute |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

The declaration specifically condemned the [[2025 Pahalgam attack]] and reiterated "zero tolerance" for terrorism, including terrorist financing, safe havens and cross-border movement of terrorists.<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS declaration condemns Pahalgam terror attack, calls for zero tolerance for terrorism, action against safe havens |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/brics-declaration-condemns-pahalgam-terror-attack-zero-tolerance-terrorism-action-10875478/ |work=The Indian Express |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

=== Trade, finance and development ===
The members criticised the increasing use of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures and reaffirmed support for a rules-based multilateral trading system centred on the [[World Trade Organization]], while calling for reforms that give developing economies greater influence.<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS unanimously condemns unilateral tariffs, pushes for WTO reform |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/brics-unilateral-tariffs-wto-reform-10875347/ |work=The Indian Express |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> The declaration also opposed unilateral coercive measures not authorised by the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS leaders voice concern over Middle East, condemn unilateral sanctions at India summit |url=https://apnews.com/article/5393274f87a16461b195d13f324e747a |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

On financial cooperation, the declaration backed continued work by the BRICS Payment Task Force on interoperability between national payment and financial-messaging systems and on settlement and investment in local currencies. It did not establish a common BRICS currency.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/><ref name="IEtakeaways">{{cite news |title=Main takeaways from the BRICS declaration: Tariffs, terrorism, West Asia war, and more |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/brics-new-delhi-summit-declaration-key-takeaways-10875050/ |work=The Indian Express |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> The members encouraged the [[New Development Bank]] to expand local-currency financing and continued discussion of a proposed New Investment Platform and other mechanisms for development finance.<ref name="IEtakeaways"/>

=== Energy, climate, technology and social cooperation ===
The declaration described energy security as a foundation of development, called for stable energy markets and resilient infrastructure, and stated that fossil fuels would continue to play an important role in the energy mix of emerging and developing economies. At the same time, it reaffirmed support for a "just, orderly, equitable and inclusive" energy transition and for implementation of the [[Paris Agreement]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Need 'orderly & inclusive' energy transition, fossil fuels will continue playing key role: BRICS declaration |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/brics-summit-new-delhi-declaration-fossil-fuels-energy-transition-critical-minerals-10875456/ |work=The Indian Express |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

In technology policy, the members endorsed continued cooperation on [[artificial intelligence]], digital public infrastructure, quantum technologies, research networks and start-up ecosystems. The declaration welcomed a BRICS Incubator Network and further consideration of a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, as well as a proposed repository for digital public-infrastructure solutions.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/> In health, it endorsed a BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and a 2026–2029 roadmap on healthy-lifestyle promotion, and supported a network of centres of excellence on mental health coordinated by India's [[National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences]].<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/>

In agriculture, the declaration supported further work on the proposed BRICS Grain Exchange and cooperation on food security, agricultural inputs and climate-resilient farming.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/>

The declaration expressed support for [[China]]'s BRICS chairship in 2027 and the holding of the [[19th BRICS summit]] in China.<ref name="DelhiDeclaration"/>

== Bilateral diplomacy ==
A number of bilateral meetings took place before and during the summit. Indian PM [[Narendra Modi]] met Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] on 11 September, with discussions covering trade, energy, defence and the [[Russo-Ukraine war|wars in Ukraine]] and the [[Middle East]]; the two sides reiterated a goal of increasing [[India-Russia relations|bilateral trade]] to US$100 billion by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |title=Modi, Putin seek stronger ties as Russia calls for BRICS to counter West |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/modi-putin-hold-talks-new-delhi-trade-defence-2026-09-11/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

On 12 September, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese president [[Xi Jinping]] met on the summit sidelines during Xi's first visit to India in seven years. The two leaders discussed border stability, trade imbalances, market access, transport links and broader economic ties, in what was widely interpreted as a cautious attempt to stabilise [[China–India relations]].<ref>{{cite news |title=India's Modi and China's Xi push business links, border peace as ties revive |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-xi-lands-delhi-brics-summit-indian-tv-channels-report-2026-09-12/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

Iranian president [[Masoud Pezeshkian]] and UAE representative [[Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan]] also held talks on 12 September, described by Reuters as the highest-level Iran–UAE meeting since the outbreak of the 2026 war. The meeting focused on regional stability and peace efforts and took place as negotiators sought consensus on the declaration's Middle East language.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran and UAE back joint BRICS statement urging restraint in war |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/brics-agrees-joint-declaration-before-new-delhi-summit-sources-say-2026-09-12/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

== Participating delegations ==
=== BRICS members ===
{{See also|Member states of BRICS}}
<gallery class="center" widths="90">
File:Mauro Vieira em 2023.jpeg|{{flagicon|Brazil}} '''[[Brazil]]'''<br>[[Mauro Vieira]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil)|Foreign Minister]]
File:Xi Jinping (November 2024) 02.jpg|{{flagicon|China}} '''[[China]]'''<br>[[Xi Jinping]], [[President of China|President]]{{efn|Xi is also [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] and [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|chairman of the Central Military Commission]].}}
File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (2) - 2023.jpg|{{flagicon|Egypt}} '''[[Egypt]]'''<br>[[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]], [[President of Egypt|President]]
File:Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Ethiopia}} '''[[Ethiopia]]'''<br>[[Abiy Ahmed]], [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia|Prime Minister]]
File:The official portrait of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India.jpg|{{flagicon|India}} '''[[India]]'''<br>[[Narendra Modi]], [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] '''(Host)'''
File:Prabowo Subianto 2024 official portrait (3x4 cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Indonesia}} '''[[Indonesia]]'''<br>[[Prabowo Subianto]], [[President of Indonesia|President]]
File:Masoud Pezeshkian 2025 (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Iran}} '''[[Iran]]'''<br>[[Masoud Pezeshkian]], [[President of Iran|President]]
File:Владимир Путин (08-03-2024) (cropped) (higher res) 2.jpg|{{flagicon|Russia}} '''[[Russia]]'''<br>[[Vladimir Putin]], [[President of Russia|President]]
File:President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (3x4 cropped).jpg|'''[[South Africa]]'''<br>[[Cyril Ramaphosa]], [[President of South Africa|President]]
File:Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan.jpg|{{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} '''[[United Arab Emirates]]'''<br>[[Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan]], [[President of the United Arab Emirates|President]]{{efn|Khaled is also Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the [[Abu Dhabi Executive Council]].}}
</gallery>

Saudi Arabia is listed as a BRICS member by official BRICS and Indian government sources, although Riyadh has not publicly confirmed formal accession and its status has continued to be described as ambiguous in independent reporting. In the New Delhi Summit, while the Saudi delegation was represented, Saudi Arabia didn't participate as a full member.<ref name="PIBoverview"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia sits on fence over BRICS with eye on vital ties with US |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-sits-fence-over-brics-with-eye-vital-ties-with-us-2025-05-08/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=8 May 2025 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

=== BRICS partner countries ===
<gallery class="center" widths="90">
File:Maxim Ryzhenkov.jpg|{{flagicon|Belarus}} '''[[Belarus]]'''<br>[[Maxim Ryzhenkov]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus)|Foreign Minister]]
File:Flag of Bolivia.svg|{{flagicon|Bolivia}} '''[[Bolivia]]'''<br>Arlette Gabriela Bustamante García, chargé d'affaires of the Bolivian embassy in India
File:Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.jpg|{{flagicon|Cuba}} '''[[Cuba]]'''<br>[[Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla]], [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Cuba)|Foreign Minister]]
File:Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (2020-02-01).jpg|{{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} '''[[Kazakhstan]]'''<br>[[Kassym-Jomart Tokayev]], [[President of Kazakhstan|President]]<br><small>also representing the [[Eurasian Economic Union]]</small>
File:Anwar Ibrahim in June 2026.jpg|{{flagicon|Malaysia}} '''[[Malaysia]]'''<br>[[Anwar Ibrahim]], [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]]
File:Kashim Shettima office portrait.jpg|{{flagicon|Nigeria}} '''[[Nigeria]]'''<br>[[Kashim Shettima]], [[Vice President of Nigeria|Vice President]]
File:Sihasak Phuangketkeow 2026.jpg|{{flagicon|Thailand}} '''[[Thailand]]'''<br>[[Sihasak Phuangketkeow]], Deputy Prime Minister and [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand)|Foreign Minister]]
File:Alupo Jessica Rose Epel.jpg|{{flagicon|Uganda}} '''[[Uganda]]'''<br>[[Jessica Alupo]], [[Vice President of Uganda|Vice President]]
File:Jamshid Kuchkarov.jpg|{{flagicon|Uzbekistan}} '''[[Uzbekistan]]'''<br>Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance
File:Le_Minh_Hung_20260502.jpg|{{flagicon|Vietnam}} '''[[Vietnam]]'''<br>[[Lê Minh Hưng]], [[Prime Minister of Vietnam|Prime Minister]]
</gallery>

=== Invitees ===
<gallery class="center" widths="90">
File:Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.jpg|{{flagicon|Bahrain}} '''[[Bahrain]]'''<br>[[Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bahrain)|Foreign Minister]]<br><small>representing the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]]</small>
File:Évariste Ndayishimiye.png|{{flagicon|Burundi}} '''[[Burundi]]'''<br>[[Évariste Ndayishimiye]], [[President of Burundi|President]]<br><small>representing the [[African Union]]</small>
File:Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 2025 SONA Portrait (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Philippines}} '''[[Philippines]]'''<br>[[Bongbong Marcos]], [[President of the Philippines|President]]<br><small>representing [[ASEAN]]</small>
File:Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud - 2021 (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} '''[[Saudi Arabia]]'''<br>[[Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia)|Foreign Minister]] {{efn|name=SaudiStatus|Saudi Arabia's status within BRICS remains ambiguous. The Government of India and official BRICS-related material issued during India's 2026 chairship list Saudi Arabia among the grouping's eleven members. However, Saudi Arabia has not consistently or publicly confirmed that it completed formal accession after receiving an invitation to join BRICS in 2023, and independent reporting, including Reuters, has continued to describe the kingdom as having not formally joined. At the 2026 New Delhi summit, Saudi Arabia was represented by Foreign Minister [[Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud]], but he participated in the summit with the status of invitee.}}
File:Mario Lubetkin (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Uruguay}} '''[[Uruguay]]'''<br>[[Mario Lubetkin]], [[Ministry of Foreign Relations (Uruguay)|Foreign Minister]]<br><small>representing the [[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States|CELAC]]</small>
</gallery>

India invited the chairs of several regional organisations to the summit's outreach session. Kazakhstan's President Tokayev participates both as the leader of a BRICS partner country and as a representative of the Eurasian Economic Union.<ref name=participants>{{cite news |title=Xi, Putin, UN chief Guterres among global heavyweights in Delhi for 18th BRICS Summit |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/xi-putin-among-global-heavyweights-heading-to-delhi-for-18th-brics-summit-14027646.html |work=Moneycontrol |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> Bangladesh's Prime Minister [[Tarique Rahman]] had been invited in his capacity as chair of [[BIMSTEC]], but Bangladesh announced on 10 September that it would not send a government representative to the summit.<ref>{{cite news |title=No scope for Bangladesh to join BRICS Summit, PM wasn’t invited: Humaiun Kobir |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/no-scope-bangladesh-join-brics-summit-pm-wasnt-invited-humaiun-kobir-4269451 |work=The Daily Star |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

=== International organisations ===
Several international organisations are represented at the summit.<ref name="participants"/><ref>{{cite news
|title=Xi, Putin, UN chief Guterres among global heavyweights in Delhi for 18th BRICS Summit
|url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/xi-putin-among-global-heavyweights-heading-to-delhi-for-18th-brics-summit-14027646.html
|work=Moneycontrol
|date=11 September 2026
|access-date=12 September 2026
}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths="90">
File:U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres (3x4 cropped b).jpg|'''[[United Nations]]'''<br>[[António Guterres]], [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]]
File:Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus 2024.jpg|'''[[World Health Organization]]'''<br>[[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]], [[Director-General of the World Health Organization|Director-General]]
File:Okonjo-Iweala, Ngozi (2008 portrait).jpg|'''[[World Trade Organization]]'''<br>[[Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala]], [[Director-General of the World Trade Organization|Director-General]]
File:04-06-2024 Reunião com a Presidente do Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento Dilma Rousseff (53769684843) (cropped).jpg|'''[[New Development Bank]]'''<br>[[Dilma Rousseff]], President
File:Zou Jiayi (2022).jpg|'''[[Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank]]'''<br>[[Zou Jiayi]], President and Chair of the Board of Directors
</gallery>

The [[International Solar Alliance]] is represented by its Director-General, Ashish Khanna, while the [[Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure]] is represented by its Director-General, Amit Prothi.<ref name="participants"/>

== Reception and analysis ==
International coverage focused on the significance of reaching a consensus declaration despite divisions within the expanded grouping. Reuters noted that agreement had been expected to be a "particularly challenging task for host New Delhi", because BRICS includes both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, whose positions had sharply diverged during the 2026 Middle East conflict.<ref name="ReutersDeclaration"/> The agreement contrasted with the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi in May, which ended without a joint communiqué because of differences over the war, leaving India to issue a chair's statement instead.<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS talks end without joint statement, exposing divisions over war in Iran |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/india-issues-chair-statement-after-brics-meeting-amid-differences-over-gulf-2026-05-15/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=15 May 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

[[Associated Press]] interpreted the summit as demonstrating both BRICS' continuing opposition to what many members regard as Western dominance of international institutions and India's effort to balance that agenda with its relations with Western countries, Russia, Iran and the Gulf states.<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS leaders voice concern over Middle East, condemn unilateral sanctions at India summit |url=https://apnews.com/article/5393274f87a16461b195d13f324e747a |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> The ''[[Financial Times]]'' highlighted a "push for Gulf peace" but noted that India–China strategic competition continued to limit cohesion and that proposals for a sharper move away from the US dollar were avoided.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brics push for Gulf peace as war worries mount |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f32bef26-d2b8-47a6-b938-3dcd5e870685 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

In an analysis for ''[[The Indian Express]]'', C. Raja Mohan characterised India's approach under the headline "No fire & brimstone", arguing that New Delhi had resisted attempts to turn BRICS into a confrontational geopolitical bloc and instead emphasised practical cooperation on supply chains, health, digital infrastructure, development finance and other areas.<ref>{{cite news |title=No fire & brimstone: Delhi pushes back against making BRICS a geopolitical bloc |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhi-brics-geopolitical-bloc-xi-jinping-summit-gaza-10875522/ |work=The Indian Express |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' similarly contrasted Beijing's view of BRICS as a counterweight to the United States with India's preference for a bridging role between the West and developing countries, while highlighting Xi's visit as part of a tentative thaw in India–China relations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Xi Jinping gets red carpet at Brics summit amid thaw in India-China relations |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/12/xi-jinping-brics-summit-delhi-india-china-relations |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

Bloomberg News described the summit as one in which several governments at odds with the United States "found common ground", noting that the declaration criticised unilateral war, tariffs and sanctions without naming the United States directly.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump’s Foes Find Common Ground at Modi’s New Delhi Summit |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/international-trade/trumps-foes-find-common-ground-at-modis-new-delhi-summit |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=12 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

== Security and logistics ==
Indian authorities mounted a large security operation across New Delhi for the summit, with approximately 30,000 personnel from the Delhi Police and other agencies deployed around the venue, airports, delegation hotels and major routes. Security arrangements included layered cordons, anti-drone systems, surveillance cameras and traffic restrictions around central Delhi.<ref>{{cite news |title=China, Russia presidents arrive for BRICS summit; Delhi Police deploys personnel |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/china-russia-presidents-arrive-brics-summit-delhi-police-deploys-personnel-10871057/ |work=The Indian Express |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS summit: traffic routes, hotels and police arrangements in Delhi |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/brics-summit-traffic-routes-hotels-police-10869880/ |work=The Indian Express |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

Delegations were accommodated across multiple hotels in New Delhi. Road diversions and temporary restrictions were introduced around Bharat Mandapam, diplomatic areas, airports and hotels during high-level movements, while authorities encouraged residents to use the Delhi Metro where possible.<ref>{{cite news |title=BRICS Summit 2026: Delhi security, four-layer cordon for Putin, heightened cover for Xi |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/brics-summit-delhi-security-four-layer-cordon-for-putin-heightened-cover-for-xi-2991847-2026-09-10 |work=India Today |date=10 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

==Controversies==

Schools across [[Delhi]] were closed on 11 September to pave the way for the foreign officials.<ref name="w702">{{cite web | last=Thakur | first=Anjali | title=Delhi school holiday today: Schools shut on September 11 ahead of BRICS Summit | publisher=mint | date=2026-09-11 | url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-school-holiday-today-schools-shut-on-september-11-ahead-of-brics-summit/amp-11789096008505.html | access-date=2026-09-13}}</ref> Offices and the Supreme Court were also ordered to remain closed for the day. A former Indian intelligence official noted that the shut down was, "causing great discomfort to the common people".<ref name="t055">{{cite web | author=The Wire Analysis | title=Shutdown Capital for Road Traffic, Offices and Schools, is Fear of 'Flash Mob' Protests Driving Paranoia Over BRICS Arrangements? | publisher=The Wire | date=2026-09-11 | url=https://m.thewire.in/article/politics/shutdown-capital-for-road-traffic-offices-and-schools-is-fear-of-flash-mob-protests-driving-paranoia-over-brics-arrangements/amp | access-date=2026-09-13}}</ref>

Ahead of the summit, the opposition [[Aam Aadmi Party]] criticised the central government after curtains and screens were placed along routes near some low-income settlements in Delhi, accusing authorities of attempting to conceal poverty rather than address it.<ref>{{cite news |title='Like calling 2.6% GDP growth 7.8%': AAP targets Centre over 'hiding' Delhi slums ahead of Brics |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/like-calling-2-6-gdp-growth-7-8-aap-targets-centre-over-hiding-delhi-slums-ahead-of-brics/articleshow/134074443.cms |work=The Times of India |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref> Residents of the Coolie Camp settlement in Vasant Vihar, where screening had also been used during the 2023 G20 summit, told ''Brut'' that they felt they were being hidden from visiting delegations.<ref>{{cite web |title=What are curtains hiding from the BRICS leaders and why? |url=https://www.brut.media/in/videos/india/society/what-are-curtains-hiding-from-the-brics-leaders-and-why |website=Brut |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=12 September 2026}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:BRICS summits]]
[[Category:2026 diplomatic conferences]]
[[Category:2026 in India]]
[[Category:Diplomatic conferences in India]]

BRICS

2026-09-13T04:48:44Z

BellaCH: Expand

{{Short description|Intergovernmental organization}}
{{About|the intergovernmental organization|the investment grouping|BRIC (economics term)|other uses|}}
{{pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = BRICS
| full_name =
| formation = {{Plainlist|
*{{Start date and age|2009|6|16|df=yes}}
}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| logo = 18ª BRICS Summit 2026, New Delhi, India.png
| logo_size = 250px
| logo_alt = BRICS 2026 Indian Presidency logo
| logo_caption = Logo of BRICS during India's 2026 presidency
| map = BRICS.svg
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = {{legend|#0072B2|BRICS member countries}}
| founding_location = {{ubl|[[Yekaterinburg]], Russia|([[1st BRIC summit]])}}
| named_after = First five member states' initials in English
| type = [[International organization|Intergovernmental organization]]
| fields = [[International relations|International politics]]
| num_members = {{BRA}}<br/>{{CHN}}<br/>{{EGY}}<br/>{{ETH}}<br/>{{IND}}<br/>{{IDN}}<br/>{{IRN}}<br/>{{RUS}}<br/>{{RSA}}<br/>{{UAE}}
| leader_title = Chairman (current)
| leader_name = [[Narendra Modi]], [[Prime Minister of India]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.brics2026.gov.in/}}
| former_name = BRIC
}}

'''BRICS''' is an [[international organization]] currently [[Member states of BRICS|comprising ten countries]]: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.<ref name="brics2026">{{Cite web| title = About Us – BRICS| access-date = 2026-05-10| url = https://www.brics2026.gov.in/about-us/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brics.br/en|title=BRICS Brasil - English|website=brics.br}}</ref>

Its conceptual origins were articulated by Russian foreign minister [[Yevgeny Primakov]] in 1998, and can be traced to informal forums and dialogue groups such as RIC (Russia, India, and China) and [[IBSA Dialogue Forum|IBSA]] (India, Brazil, and South Africa).<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Patnaik |first=Ajay K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BauGEAAAQBAJ |title=Locating BRICS in the Global Order. Perspectives from the Global South |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-000-73876-6 |editor-last=Raman |editor-first=G. Venkat |chapter=3. Evolution of BRICS. History and Politics |editor-last2=Sundriyal |editor-first2=Meenakshi |editor-last3=Mehra |editor-first3=Meeta Keswani |editor-last4=Kumar |editor-first4=Rajan}}</ref> [[BRIC (economics term)|BRIC]] was originally a term coined by British economist [[Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley|Jim O'Neill]], and later championed by his employer [[Goldman Sachs]] in 2001, to designate a group of emerging markets.<ref name="Rana Foroohar">{{cite magazine |author=Foroohar |first=Rana |date=10 November 2015 |title=Why the Mighty BRIC Nations Have Finally Broken |magazine=[[TIME]] |url=https://time.com/4106094/goldman-sachs-brics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220092435/http://time.com/4106094/goldman-sachs-brics/ |archive-date=20 December 2016 |access-date=17 February 2025}}</ref><ref name="AY">{{Cite news |last=Xie |first=Ye |date=8 November 2015 |title=Goldman's BRIC Era Ends as Fund Folds After Years of Losses |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-08/goldman-s-bric-era-ends-as-fund-closes-after-years-of-losses |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131044405/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-08/goldman-s-bric-era-ends-as-fund-closes-after-years-of-losses |archive-date=31 January 2023 |access-date=10 November 2022 |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The bloc's [[1st BRIC summit|inaugural summit]] was held in 2009 and featured the founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China;<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Andrew Fenton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1nrnCwAAQBAJ |title=The BRICS: A Very Short Introduction |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-872339-4 }}</ref> they adopted the [[acronym]] '''BRIC''' and formed an informal diplomatic group where their governments could meet annually at formal summits and coordinate multilateral policies.<ref name="OR">{{Cite web |last=Curtis |first=John |date=11 November 2024 |others=Research Briefing |title=The BRICS group: Overview and recent expansion |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-10136/CBP-10136.pdf |website=[[House of Commons Library|House of Commons Library, UK Parliament]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ndzendze |first=Bhaso |date=24 August 2023 |title=Brics expansion: six more nations are set to join – what they're buying into |url=https://theconversation.com/brics-expansion-six-more-nations-are-set-to-join-what-theyre-buying-into-212200 |access-date=18 January 2025 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] }}</ref> South Africa joined the organization in September 2010, which was then renamed BRICS, and attended the [[3rd BRICS summit|third summit]] in 2011 as a full member.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2023 |title=What is BRICS, which countries want to join and why? |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-brics-who-are-its-members-2023-08-21/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118215023/https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-brics-who-are-its-members-2023-08-21/#:~:text=WHO%20ARE%20THE%20MEMBERS%3F,grouping%20became%20known%20as%20BRICS |archive-date=18 November 2023 |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stuenkel |first=Oliver |author-link=Oliver Stuenkel |title=The BRICS and the Future of Global Order |publisher=[[Lexington Books]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-7391-9321-1 |edition=2 |page=1}}</ref> Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates attended their first summit as member states [[16th BRICS summit|in 2024 in Russia]].<ref name="GI">{{Cite web |date=March 2024 |title=Expansion of BRICS: A quest for greater global influence? |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2024)760368 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320115227/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/760368/EPRS_BRI(2024)760368_EN.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2024 |website=[[European Parliamentary Research Service]], European Parliament|last=Jütten|first=Marc|last2=Falkenberg|first2=Dorothee}}</ref> Indonesia officially joined in early 2025, becoming the first [[Southeast Asia]]n member.<ref name="Reuters-1">{{Cite news |date=7 January 2025 |title=Indonesia joins BRICS bloc as full member, Brazil says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/indonesia-join-brics-bloc-full-member-brazil-says-2025-01-06/ |access-date=7 January 2025 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 January 2025 |title=Indonesia joins BRICS group of emerging economies |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/7/indonesia-joins-brics-group-of-emerging-economies |access-date=7 January 2025 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera]] }}</ref> Saudi Arabia was invited at the [[15th BRICS summit|Johannesburg summit]] and it is considered part of the organisation, but has not publicly confirmed its membership.{{efn|Saudi Arabia's BRICS membership is disputed. Official BRICS sources list Saudi Arabia as a BRICS member while the country maintains ambiguity regarding its status.}} The term '''BRICS+''' has been informally used to reflect new membership since 2024.<ref name="GI" /><ref name="BE">{{Cite web |last=Patrick |first=Stewart |date=9 October 2024 |title=BRICS Expansion, the G20, and the Future of World Order |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/brics-summit-emerging-middle-powers-g7-g20?lang=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119200354/https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/brics-summit-emerging-middle-powers-g7-g20?lang=en |archive-date=19 November 2024 |access-date=24 November 2024 |website=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tran |first=Hung |date=1 November 2024 |title=The underestimated implications of the BRICS Summit in Russia |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/the-underestimated-implications-of-the-brics-summit-in-russia/ |access-date=11 February 2025 |website=[[Atlantic Council]] }}</ref>

Collectively, BRICS comprises more than a quarter of the global economy and nearly half the world's population.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Ferragamo |first=Mariel |title=What Is the BRICS Group and Why Is It Expanding? {{!}} Council on Foreign Relations |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-brics-group-and-why-it-expanding |access-date=13 November 2025 |website=www.cfr.org |date=18 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The group has established multilateral institutions and financial mechanisms, such as the [[New Development Bank]], the [[BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement]], and the [[BRICS PAY]] payment platform.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS Joint Statistical Publications |url=https://eng.rosstat.gov.ru/folder/75553 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117151635/https://eng.rosstat.gov.ru/folder/75553 |archive-date=17 January 2024 |website=Federal State Statistics Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Petry |first1=Johannes |last2=Nölke |first2=Andreas |date=17 October 2024 |title=BRICS and the Global Financial Order: Liberalism Contested? |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/brics-and-the-global-financial-order/012E5E36D61B671834AF92BCF8122EDA |publisher=Cambridge University Press |series=Elements in the Economics of Emerging Markets |language=en |doi=10.1017/9781009498739 |isbn=978-1-009-49873-9 |doi-access=free }}</ref> It has also promoted [[de-dollarization]] initiatives to increase trade settlements in national currencies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Quintana |first=Francisco J |date=1 September 2025 |title=Dollar dominance, de-dollarization, and international law |url=https://academic.oup.com/jiel/article/28/3/359/8270636 |journal=Journal of International Economic Law |language=en |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=359–381 |doi=10.1093/jiel/jgaf032 |issn=1369-3034 |doi-access=free|hdl=20.500.11820/b3bb0803-db1f-434a-a5a3-4f93a0991693 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="FF">{{Cite journal |last1=Kirton |first1=John |author-link1=John Kirton |last2=Larionova |first2=Marina |year=2022 |title=The First Fifteen Years of the BRICS |url=https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/113678237/Kirton_20and_20Larionova-libre.pdf?1713882080=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DThe_First_Fifteen_Years_of_the_BRICS.pdf&Expires=1737638598&Signature=ItrEWzfQyKMGEeyB-Hza8dwZQLgfP3GjSpHgBTyl5xiDy2LXYPZIIesvZRbEHs7fnMntxEyoUTdm5aGMSllQrZSIUOpbRFTCKINQKXod4a8aVNSrUY4d4O0tkfUeoU12HL9GDvMHdIXYIu8MYbrPOveqRNAnS14YsPCmPD6pKMhQ2tWBsYGslkIIbwUkD1SgsQr8fuElZy~9q~V3qqG3jmnj8wC2Rox-XQRaHvcShbmrslEEDuKDXqmtPK790HHxTzq4obIGVLL8XyYWPXnXcC01YrTl0sCI9gN82v170ZFYDgC3AlZMmjLYOubSJ6w~rw44U3bgcg5iYhSYbLh4OQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA |journal=International Organisations Research Journal |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=7–30 |doi=10.17323/1996-7845-2022-02-01}}</ref>
Some commentators consider BRICS the alternative to the [[G7]],<ref name="BE" /> and a major political force in the global international order.<ref name="auto"/> Others describe it as an incoherent affiliation of disparate countries centered on increasing [[anti-Europeanism|anti-European]] and [[Anti-Americanism|anti-American]] objectives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Keith |date=21 October 2024 |title=Can BRICS Finally Take On the West? |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/10/21/brics-russia-china-kazan-summit-west-dollar/ |website=[[Foreign Policy]]}}</ref> Nevertheless, all five original members, as well as Indonesia, are also part of the [[G20]]. BRICS has received both praise and criticism from numerous commentators and world leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wolff |first=Richard D. |date=3 October 2022 |title=BRICS: the powerful global alliance |url=https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/brics-the-powerful-global-alliance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825163741/https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/brics-the-powerful-global-alliance |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |website=[[Canadian Dimension]] |author-link=Richard D. Wolff}}</ref><ref name="USINPAC">{{Cite web |last=Maitra |first=Sumantra |date=18 April 2013 |title=BRICS – India is the biggest loser |url=http://usinpac.com/blog/admin/brics-india-is-the-biggest-loser/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028210231/http://usinpac.com/blog/admin/brics-india-is-the-biggest-loser/ |archive-date=28 October 2013 |access-date=17 June 2013 |publisher=[[United States India Political Action Committee|USINPAC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Blakeley |first=Grace |date=15 February 2023 |title=BRIC Nationalism Is No Alternative |url=https://jacobin.com/2023/02/bric-nationalism-is-no-alternative |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825163742/https://jacobin.com/2023/02/bric-nationalism-is-no-alternative |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=Jacobin|author-link=Grace Blakeley}}</ref><ref name="Coughlin">{{Cite news |last=Coughlin |first=Con |date=24 August 2023 |title=Brics is now a motley crew of failing states |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/24/brics-summit-india-china-russia-putin-xi-jinping/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825032303/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/24/brics-summit-india-china-russia-putin-xi-jinping/ |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=The Daily Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235|author-link=Con Coughlin}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Adam |last2=Cheatham |first2=Andrew |date=17 October 2024 |title=What's Driving a Bigger BRICS and What Does it Mean for the U.S.? |url=https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/10/whats-driving-bigger-brics-and-what-does-it-mean-us |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241018021054/https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/10/whats-driving-bigger-brics-and-what-does-it-mean-us |archive-date=18 October 2024 |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=[[United States Institute of Peace]] }}</ref>

==History==

===Founding===

Collective action in the political arena in the late 1990s was present before the economic rationale of BRICS.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Raman |first1=G. Venkat |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BauGEAAAQBAJ |title=Locating BRICS in the Global Order. Perspectives from the Global South |last2=Kumar |first2=Rajan |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-000-73876-6 |editor-last=Kumar |editor-first=Rajan |chapter=1. Introduction |editor-last2=Mehra |editor-first2=Meeta Keswani |editor-last3=Raman |editor-first3=G. Venkat |editor-last4=Sundriyal |editor-first4=Meenakshi}}</ref> The idea of a multipolar group like BRICS can be traced back to [[Yevgeny Primakov]] during his term as [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] of Russia. He reiterated the idea in New Delhi in 1998.<ref name=":3" /> The forums RIC (Russia, India, China) and [[IBSA Dialogue Forum|IBSA]] (India, Brazil, South Africa) predated and played an important role in the creation of BRIC and subsequently BRICS.<ref name=":3" />[[File:New Development Bank HQ Shanghai.jpg|thumb|The [[New Development Bank]], headquartered in [[Shanghai, China]], is the premier institution of BRICS.<ref name="BA">{{Cite web |title=BRICS Architecture – BRICS 2023 |url=https://brics2023.gov.za/brics-architecture/ |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=brics2023.gov.za}}</ref>]]
The term ''[[BRIC (economics term)|BRIC]]'', as compared to the alternate term ''CRIB'',<ref name=":0" /> was originally developed in the context of foreign investment strategies. It was introduced in the 2001 publication, ''Building Better Global Economic BRICs'' by [[Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley|Jim O'Neill]], then head of global economics research at [[Goldman Sachs]] and later Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.<ref>Jim O'Neill (30 November 2001).[https://www.goldmansachs.com/pdfs/insights/archive/archive-pdfs/build-better-brics.pdf "Building Better Global Economic BRICs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714202851/http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/archive/building-better.html |date=14 July 2014}} . [[Goldman Sachs]]. Retrieved 12 February 2015.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagashybayeva |first=Gulnar |date=November 2016 |title=Research Guides: BRICS: Sources of Information: Introduction |url=https://guides.loc.gov/brics/introduction |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723194646/https://guides.loc.gov/brics/introduction |archive-date=23 July 2023 |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|access-date=31 October 2024|title=Jim O'Neill Named Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management|url=https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2010/oneill-gsam|publisher=Goldman Sachs|archive-date=30 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130193446/https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2010/oneill-gsam|url-status=live}}</ref> O'Neill now regards the BRICS group as a failed project. In a 2021 article for ''[[Project Syndicate]]'' he wrote that the BRICS countries "have so far proven incapable of uniting as a meaningful global force" and felt in 2024 that "each year also brings further confirmation that the grouping serves no real purpose beyond generating symbolic gestures and lofty rhetoric".<ref name="PM24">{{Cite news |last=O'Neill |first=Jim |date=17 October 2024 |title=The BRICS Still Don't Matter |url=https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/moscow-brics-summit-expanded-bloc-still-rudderless-and-ineffective-by-jim-o-neill-2024-10 |url-access=registration |access-date=10 January 2025 |work=[[Project Syndicate]]}}</ref><ref name="PM21">{{Cite news |last=O'Neill |first=Jim |date=16 September 2021 |title=Will the BRICS Ever Grow Up? |url=https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/brics-20-years-of-disappointment-by-jim-o-neill-2021-09 |url-access=registration |access-date=10 January 2024 |work=[[Project Syndicate]]}}</ref>

The [[foreign minister]]s of the initial four BRIC states (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) met in New York City in September 2006 at the margins of the General Debate of the UN Assembly, beginning a series of high-level meetings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 March 2013 |title=Information about BRICS |url=http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/about-brics/information-about-brics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710163822/http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/about-brics/information-about-brics |archive-date=10 July 2015 |access-date=4 September 2017 |publisher=Brics6.itamaraty.gov.br}}</ref> A full-scale diplomatic meeting was held in [[Yekaterinburg]], Russia, on 16 June 2009.<ref>[http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/bric_1.shtml "Cooperation within BRIC"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619032104/http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/bric_1.shtml |date=19 June 2009}}. [[Kremlin]].ru. Retrieved 16 June 2009.</ref>

The BRIC group's [[1st BRIC summit|first formal summit]], also held in Yekaterinburg, commenced on 16 June 2009,<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |date=16 June 2009 |title=First summit for emerging giants |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8102216.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618002740/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8102216.stm |archive-date=18 June 2009 |access-date=16 June 2009 |work=BBC News}}</ref> with [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]], [[Dmitry Medvedev]], [[Manmohan Singh]], and [[Hu Jintao]], the respective leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, all attending.<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news |last=Bryanski |first=Gleb |date=26 June 2009 |title=BRIC demands more clout, steers clear of dollar talk |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLG67435120090616 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619134448/https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLG67435120090616 |archive-date=19 June 2009 |access-date=16 June 2009 |work=Reuters}}</ref> The summit's focus was on improving the global economic situation and reforming [[financial institution]]s amid the [[Great Recession]]. There was also discussion of how the four countries could better cooperate in the future,<ref name="BBC" /><ref name=reuters/> and ways [[Developing country|developing countries]], such as three-fourths of the BRIC members, could become more involved in global affairs.<ref name=reuters/>

In the aftermath of the 2009 Yekaterinburg summit, the BRIC nations announced the need for a new [[World currency|global reserve currency]], which would have to be "diverse, stable and predictable".<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 June 2009 |title=BRIC wants more influence |url=http://www.euronews.net/2009/06/16/bric-wants-more-influence/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621022125/http://www.euronews.net/2009/06/16/bric-wants-more-influence/ |archive-date=21 June 2009 |access-date=16 June 2009 |work=[[Euronews]]}}</ref> Although their statement did not directly criticize the perceived dominance of the [[United States dollar|US dollar]] (as Russia had in the past) it did spark a fall in the value of the dollar against other major currencies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zhou |first=Wanfeng |date=16 June 2009 |title=Dollar slides after Russia comments, BRIC summit |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-markets-forex-idUSTRE5530NQ20090616 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142310/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/06/16/us-markets-forex-idUSTRE5530NQ20090616 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=6 July 2014 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

===2010 expansion===

In 2010, South Africa began efforts to join BRIC, and the process for its formal admission began in August of that year.<ref name="foreignpolicyjournal.com">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Jack A. |date=21 January 2011 |title=BRIC Becomes BRICS: Changes on the Geopolitical Chessboard |url=http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2011/01/21/bric-becomes-brics-changes-on-the-geopolitical-chessboard/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126031749/http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2011/01/21/bric-becomes-brics-changes-on-the-geopolitical-chessboard/2/ |archive-date=26 January 2011 |access-date=14 April 2011 |work=Foreign Policy Journal}}</ref> South Africa officially became a member nation on 24 December 2010 after being formally invited by China,<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 December 2010 |title=China invites South Africa to join BRIC: Xinhua |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bric-safrica-idUSTRE6BN1DZ20101224 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609013836/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bric-safrica-idUSTRE6BN1DZ20101224 |archive-date=9 June 2019 |access-date=9 June 2019 |work=Reuters}}</ref> and was subsequently accepted by other BRIC countries.<ref name="foreignpolicyjournal.com" /> The group was renamed ''BRICS'' to represent the addition of ''South Africa'' to the original four BRIC members.<ref>Blanchard, Ben and Zhou Xin (14 April 2011). [https://af.reuters.com/article/southAfricaNews/idAFL3E7FE13B20110414 "Update 1-BRICS discussed global monetary reform, not yuan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620043200/http://af.reuters.com/article/southAfricaNews/idAFL3E7FE13B20110414 |date=20 June 2017}}. Reuters Africa. Retrieved 26 April 2013.</ref> At the [[3rd BRICS summit|third BRICS summit]] in 2011 in [[Sanya]], China, South African president [[Jacob Zuma]] represented the country as a full member for the first time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 December 2010 |title=South Africa joins BRIC as full member |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-12/24/c_13662138.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228032338/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-12/24/c_13662138.htm |archive-date=28 December 2010 |access-date=14 April 2011 |agency=Xinhua News Agency}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2011 |title=BRICS countries need to further enhance coordination: Manmohan Singh |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BRICS-countries-need-to-further-enhance-coordination-Manmohan-Singh/articleshow/7961167.cms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105081014/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BRICS-countries-need-to-further-enhance-coordination-Manmohan-Singh/articleshow/7961167.cms |archive-date=5 November 2012 |access-date=14 April 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 April 2011 |title=BRICS should coordinate in key areas of development: PM |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/brics-should-coordinate-in-key-areas-of-development-pm/775130/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415005531/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/brics-should-coordinate-in-key-areas-of-development-pm/775130 |archive-date=15 April 2011 |access-date=14 April 2011 |work=The Indian Express}}</ref>

=== New Development Bank ===
[[File:NDB-HQ-LOGO.jpg|thumb|right|New Development Bank's logo]]
[[File:PM in a family photograph during the BRICS Leaders Retreat Meeting, at Johannesburg, in South Africa on August 23, 2023 (1).jpg|thumb|South African President [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] and other BRICS representatives during the [[15th BRICS summit]] in Johannesburg, 23 August 2023]]

In June 2012, the BRICS nations pledged $75{{nbsp}}billion to boost the lending power of the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF). However, the proposed loan was conditional on IMF voting reforms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryanski |first=Gleb |date=21 June 2012 |title=Russia says BRICS eye joint anti-crisis fund |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/russia-brics-imf-idINDEE85K04C20120621 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515075723/http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/21/russia-brics-imf-idINDEE85K04C20120621 |archive-date=15 May 2013 |access-date=5 December 2012 |work=Reuters}}</ref> In March 2013, during the [[5th BRICS summit|fifth BRICS summit]] in [[Durban]], the member countries agreed to create a global financial institution to cooperate with the western-dominated IMF and World Bank.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=David |date=28 March 2013 |title=Brics eye infrastructure funding through new development bank |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/mar/28/brics-countries-infrastructure-spending-development-bank |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030120601/http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/mar/28/brics-countries-infrastructure-spending-development-bank |archive-date=30 October 2013 |access-date=29 March 2013 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> <ref>Cooper, Andrew F. "The BRICS' New Development Bank: Shifting from Material Leverage to Innovative Capacity Global Policy." Global Policy 8. 3 (2017): 275-284.</ref>They planned to set up this [[New Development Bank]] (known at the time as the "BRICS Development Bank") by 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eckert |first=Paul |date=19 April 2013 |editor-last=Ricci |editor-first=Andrea |title=India sees BRICS development bank agreed by 2014 summit |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/g20-brics-india-idINDEE93I0DK20130419 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528093058/http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/04/19/g20-brics-india-idINDEE93I0DK20130419 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |access-date=10 July 2013 |work=Reuters}}</ref>

At the BRICS leaders meeting in [[Saint Petersburg]] in September 2013, China committed $41{{nbsp}}billion towards the pool; Brazil, India, and Russia committed $18 billion each; and South Africa committed $5 billion. China, which held the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and contributed the bulk of the currency pool, wanted a more significant managing role. China also wanted to be the location of the reserve.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |last2=Soto |first2=Alonso |date=11 October 2013 |editor-last=Nomiyama |editor-first=Chizu |title=BRICS may decide on $100 billion fund early 2014 – Russia |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/g20-brics-fund-idINL6N0I13N720131011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201194824/http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/10/11/g20-brics-fund-idINL6N0I13N720131011 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |access-date=4 September 2017 |work=Reuters.com}}</ref> In October 2013, Russia's Finance Minister [[Anton Siluanov]] said that creating a $100{{nbsp}}billion in funds designated to steady currency markets would be taken in early 2014. The Brazilian finance minister, [[Guido Mantega]], confirmed that the fund would be created by March 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Cascione |first1=Silvio |last2=Duarte |first2=Patricia |date=10 October 2013 |title=Brazil's Mantega urges Fed to communicate tapering 'clearly' |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-economy-mantega-idINBRE9990WR20131010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201194821/http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/10/10/us-brazil-economy-mantega-idINBRE9990WR20131010 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |access-date=4 September 2017 |work=Reuters.com}}</ref> However, by April 2014, the currency reserve pool and development bank had yet to be set up, and the date was rescheduled to 2015.<ref name="rbth1">{{Cite web |last1=Samofalova |first1=Olga |date=14 April 2014 |title=BRICS countries to set up their own IMF |url=http://rbth.com/business/2014/04/14/brics_countries_to_set_up_their_own_imf_35891.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531200454/http://rbth.com/business/2014/04/14/brics_countries_to_set_up_their_own_imf_35891.html |archive-date=31 May 2014 |access-date=15 July 2014 |work=Russia Beyond The Headlines}}</ref>

In July 2014, during the [[6th BRICS summit|sixth BRICS summit]] in [[Fortaleza]], the BRICS members signed a document to create the US$100{{nbsp}}billion New Development Bank and a reserve currency pool worth over another US$100{{nbsp}}billion. Documents on cooperation between BRICS export credit agencies and an agreement of cooperation on innovation were also signed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 July 2014 |title=Outcome of Brics summit-2014 |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=107747 |work=Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}</ref> The Fortaleza summit was followed by a BRICS meeting with the [[Union of South American Nations]] presidents in [[Brasília]].<ref name="yn11j">[https://news.yahoo.com/brics-launch-bank-tighten-latin-america-ties-034909760.html "BRICS to launch bank, tighten Latin America ties"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712193150/http://news.yahoo.com/brics-launch-bank-tighten-latin-america-ties-034909760.html |date=12 July 2015}} . Yahoo!. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.</ref>

=== Other initiatives ===
[[File:2024 BRICS Games opening ceremony 31.jpg|thumb|[[2024 BRICS Games]] in Russia]]

Since 2011, the National Institutes of Statistics of the BRICS group of countries ([[Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics|Institute of Geography and Statistics]] (Brazil), [[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]] (Russia), the [[National Bureau of Statistics of China|National Bureau of Statistics]] (China), the [[Central Statistics Office (India)|Central Statistics Office]] (India), and [[Statistics South Africa]] produce an annual joint statistical publication to put statistical production in perspective, compare adopted methodologies and statistical results. The publication serves as a single data platform for the mutual benefit of participating countries.

Since 2012, the BRICS group of countries has been planning an [[optical fiber]] [[Submarine communication cables|submarine communications]] cable system to carry telecommunications between the BRICS countries, known as the [[BRICS Cable]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{Cite web |date=16 April 2012 |title=Brics Cable Unveiled for Direct and Cohesive Communications Services between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDLKQqIM.ZZ0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119201528/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDLKQqIM.ZZ0 |archive-date=19 November 2015 |access-date=5 March 2017 |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref> Part of the motivation for the project was the spying of the [[National Security Agency|U.S. National Security Agency]] on all telecommunications that flowed in and out of United States territory.<ref name="diplomat">{{Cite web |last=Rolland |first=Nadège |date=2 April 2015 |title=A Fiber-Optic Silk Road |url=https://thediplomat.com/2015/04/a-fiber-optic-silk-road/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119180928/https://thediplomat.com/2015/04/a-fiber-optic-silk-road/ |archive-date=19 November 2015 |access-date=19 November 2015 |work=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]]}}</ref> Construction of the proposed cable network was abandoned in 2015, possibly due to cost.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://jsis.washington.edu/news/reactions-u-s-cybersecurity-policy-bric-undersea-cable/ | title=International Reactions to U.S. Cybersecurity Policy: The BRICS undersea cable | publisher=[[University of Washington]] | date=8 January 2016 | access-date=9 January 2025 | author=Lee, Stacie}}</ref>

In August 2019, the communications ministers of the BRICS countries signed a letter of intent to cooperate in the Information and Communication Technology sector. This agreement was signed in the fifth edition of the meeting of communication ministers of countries member of the group<ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS countries to cooperate in ICT sector |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/brics-countries-to-cooperate-in-ict-sector--1304946 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820144600/https://www.telecompaper.com/news/brics-countries-to-cooperate-in-ict-sector--1304946 |archive-date=20 August 2019 |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref> held in [[Brasília]], Brazil.

[[File:9YAN 5350 (52766002359).jpg|thumb|Meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on 22 September 2022]]

The [[New Development Bank]] plans on giving out $15{{nbsp}}billion to member states to help their struggling economies. Member countries are hoping for a smooth comeback and a continuation of economic trade pre-COVID-19. The 2020 BRICS summit was held virtually in St. Petersburg, Russia, and discussed how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and how to fix the multilateral system via reforms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 April 2020 |title=BRICS To Allocate $15 Billion For Rebuilding Economies Hit By COVID-19 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-brics-to-allocate-15-billion-for-rebuilding-economies-hit-by-covid-19-2220046 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126173126/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-brics-to-allocate-15-billion-for-rebuilding-economies-hit-by-covid-19-2220046 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |access-date=20 October 2020 |website=NDTV |agency=PTI}}</ref> During the 13th BRICS summit, in 2021, Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] called for a transparent investigation into the [[origins of COVID-19]] under the [[World Health Organization]] with the full cooperation of "all countries", and Chinese leader [[Xi Jinping]] spoke directly afterwards, calling on BRICS countries to "oppose politicisation" of the process.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Haidar |first1=Suhasini |last2=Krishnan |first2=Ananth |date=15 September 2021 |title=India, China avoided open clash over COVID-19 origins |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-china-avoided-open-clash-over-origins-of-covid-19-virus/article36479981.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916021840/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-china-avoided-open-clash-over-origins-of-covid-19-virus/article36479981.ece |archive-date=16 September 2021 |access-date=16 September 2021 |work=The Hindu}}</ref>

In May 2023, South Africa announced that it would be giving [[diplomatic immunity]] to Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials so that they could attend the 15th BRICS Summit despite the [[ICC arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova|ICC arrest warrant for Putin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Sarah |date=30 May 2023 |title=South Africa moves to let Putin attend BRICS summit despite ICC arrest warrant over Ukraine war |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-africa-vladimir-putin-icc-arrest-warrant-ukraine-war-brics-immunity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616001351/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-africa-vladimir-putin-icc-arrest-warrant-ukraine-war-brics-immunity/ |archive-date=16 June 2023 |access-date=12 June 2023 |publisher=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 June 2023 |title=South Africa's diplomatic dilemma with Putin |url=https://www.dw.com/en/south-africas-diplomatic-dilemma-with-putin/a-65804176 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612222322/https://www.dw.com/en/south-africas-diplomatic-dilemma-with-putin/a-65804176 |archive-date=12 June 2023 |access-date=12 June 2023 |publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref> In July 2023, the Russian president announced that he would not personally attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on 22–24 August despite good relations with the South African government. Russian news channels noted that Putin would remotely participate online in all BRICS leaders' sessions, including the Business Forum, and also deliver his remarks virtually.<ref>Bartlett K. (19 July 2023). [https://www.npr.org/2023/07/19/1188568761/russia-putin-south-africa-brics-summit "Putin won't attend a South Africa summit next month, avoiding possible arrest"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213130/https://www.npr.org/2023/07/19/1188568761/russia-putin-south-africa-brics-summit |date=21 July 2023}} ''NPR.org.'' Accessed 21 July 2023.</ref>

In the first 15 years of BRICS, it produced hundreds of decisions and complied with a majority of them.<ref name="FF" /> BRICS has established almost 60 intra-group institutions and a network including think tanks and dialogues in various areas. The group has an agenda of over 30 subjects.<ref name="FF" /> These groups include: BRICS Business Council, BRICS Think Tanks Council, BRICS Women's Business Alliance, BRICS Business Forum, and the BRICS Academic Forum.<ref name="OR" /><ref name="BA" /> At Kazan the establishment of a BRICS Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center and a BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Network was announced.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on October 24, 2024 |url=https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/fyrbt/lxjzh/202410/t20241024_11515512.html |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. www.mfa.gov.cn}}</ref>

In 2021, BRICS formally agreed to work together to build a satellite constellation and share remote sensing satellite data from it.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 August 2021 |title=BRICS signs deal on cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/brics-signs-deal-on-cooperation-in-remote-sensing-satellite-data-sharing/articleshow/85449130.cms?from=mdr |access-date=21 March 2025 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389 |agency=PTI}}</ref> The constellation will have six existing satellites from China, Russia, and India.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Patranobis |first=Sutirtho |date=27 May 2022 |title=2 Indian satellites to be part of BRICS 'virtual constellation': Report |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/2-indian-satellites-to-be-part-brics-virtual-constellation-report-101653551552685.html |access-date=21 March 2025 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> In 2023, Russia proposed that the other BRICS members could build a joint research station on its space station.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lau |first=Chris |date=25 July 2023 |title=Russia proposes joint research module on space station for BRICS partners |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/25/europe/russia-space-station-module-for-brics-intl-scn-hnk/index.html |access-date=21 March 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

=== Discussions ===

BRICS has been involved in discussions related to areas of conflict and humanitarian crises such as Afghanistan,<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 October 2024 |title=XVI BRICS Summit |url=http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/241023-declaration.html |website=University of Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Soltani |first=Mohammad Bashir |date=24 October 2024 |title=BRICS Members Support an Independent, Peaceful, War-Free Afghanistan |url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-191337 |access-date=1 April 2025 |website=TOLOnews |language=en}}</ref> Gaza, Lebanon,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fheili |first=Mohammad Ibrahim |date=13 November 2024 |title=The Challenges for Lebanon if it Gets into Bed with BRICS |url=https://intpolicydigest.org/the-platform/the-challenges-for-lebanon-if-it-gets-into-bed-with-brics/ |access-date=1 April 2025 |website=International Policy Digest}}</ref> Sudan, Haiti,<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 June 2024 |title=Joint Statement of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/37860/joint+statement+of+the+brics+ministers+of+foreign+affairsinternational+relations |access-date=1 April 2025 |website=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India}}</ref> Syria<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abdenur |first=Adriana Erthal |date=September 2016 |title=Rising Powers and International Security: the BRICS and the Syrian Conflict |url=https://rpquarterly.kureselcalismalar.com/quarterly/rising-powers-and-international-security-the-brics-and-the-syrian-conflict/ |journal=Rising Powers Quarterly |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=109–133}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 March 2012 |title=Fourth BRICS Summit - Delhi Declaration |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/19158/Fourth+BRICS+Summit++Delhi+Declaration |website=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India}}</ref> and Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Parashar |first=Sachin |date=22 March 2025 |title=As Trump threat looms, Jaishankar backs BRICS in Parliament |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-not-involved-in-any-brics-effort-to-weaken-dollar-eam/articleshow/119319268.cms |access-date=31 March 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Júnior |first1=Laerte Apolinário |last2=Branco |first2=Giovana Dias |date=28 December 2022 |title=The BRICS countries and the Russia-Ukraine conflict |url=https://www.cartainternacional.abri.org.br/Carta/article/view/1286 |journal=Carta Internacional |language=pt |volume=17 |issue=3 |article-number=e1286 |doi=10.21530/ci.v17n3.2022.1286 |issn=2526-9038|doi-access=free }}</ref> NATO air strikes in Libya were discussed during the third summit.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Monyae |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtwaEAAAQBAJ |title=The BRICS Order: Assertive or Complementing the West? |last2=Ndzendze |first2=Bhaso |date=8 February 2021 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan. Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-62765-2 |page=18 |language=en |chapter=1. Introduction: The Genealogies, Elements and Implications of a 'BRICS Order'}}</ref> In 2023, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the conflict in Gaza during an extraordinary virtual summit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawal |first=Shola |date=21 November 2023 |title=BRICS condemns Israel war on Gaza in signal to the West |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/21/brics-condemns-israel-war-on-gaza-in-signal-to-the-west |access-date=14 March 2025 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> In June 2024, BRICS foreign ministers issued a joint statement condemning military attacks and civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaudhury |first=Dipanjan Roy |date=12 June 2024 |title=India joins other BRICS members in slamming Israel's attacks in Gaza |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-joins-other-brics-members-in-slamming-israels-attacks-in-gaza/articleshow/110919130.cms?from=mdr |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

=== 2024 expansion ===
[[File:2024 BRICS Summit (1729759568).jpg|thumb|Kazan hosted the first plenary session of the 16th BRICS Summit in the Outreach/BRICS+ format]]

In August 2023, at the [[15th BRICS summit]], South African President [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] announced that six emerging market group countries ([[Argentina]], Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, [[Saudi Arabia]], and the United Arab Emirates) had been invited to join the bloc. Full membership was scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Monteiro |first=Ana |date=29 December 2023 |title=BRICS to Grow as Saudi, Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia Join Ranks |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-29/brics-to-grow-as-saudi-iran-uae-egypt-ethiopia-join-ranks |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102081543/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-29/brics-to-grow-as-saudi-iran-uae-egypt-ethiopia-join-ranks |archive-date=2 January 2024 |access-date=9 January 2024 |work=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref><ref name="BC">{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Shweta |date=24 August 2023 |title=Brics countries agree major expansion as 6 countries invited to join |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/brics-2023-summit-new-members-saudi-uae-iran-b2398553.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825032330/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/brics-2023-summit-new-members-saudi-uae-iran-b2398553.html |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=24 August 2023 |work=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref name="NM">{{Cite news |last1=du Plessis |first1=Carien |last2=Miridzhanian |first2=Anait |last3=Acharya |first3=Bhargav |date=24 August 2023 |title=BRICS welcomes new members in push to reshuffle world order |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/brics-poised-invite-new-members-join-bloc-sources-2023-08-24/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825005541/https://www.reuters.com/world/brics-poised-invite-new-members-join-bloc-sources-2023-08-24/ |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

However, the [[2023 Argentine general election|Argentine general election]] in November 2023 led to a change in president to [[Javier Milei]], who had committed to withdraw the country's membership application.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BRICS membership in doubt as opposition rejects move|url=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentinas-brics-membership-in-doubt-as-opposition-rejects-move.phtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828170311/https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentinas-brics-membership-in-doubt-as-opposition-rejects-move.phtml|archive-date=28 August 2023|access-date=28 August 2023|website=batimes.com.ar|date=24 August 2023}}</ref> On 30 November 2023, incoming Foreign Minister of Argentina [[Diana Mondino]] confirmed that Argentina would not join BRICS.<ref name="Argentinanot">{{Cite news|last=Bonelli|first=Matías|date=1 December 2023|title=Diana Mondino confirmó que la Argentina no ingresará a los BRICS|trans-title=Diana Mondino confirmed that Argentina won't join BRICS|url=https://www.cronista.com/economia-politica/diana-mondino-confirmo-que-la-argentina-no-ingresara-a-los-brics/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130205429/https://www.cronista.com/economia-politica/diana-mondino-confirmo-que-la-argentina-no-ingresara-a-los-brics/|archive-date=30 November 2023|access-date=1 December 2023|work=El Cronista|language=es}}</ref> On 29 December 2023, the Government of Argentina sent a letter to all BRICS leaders to officially announce its withdrawal from the application process.<ref name="Argentinanot2">{{Cite web|date=29 December 2023|title=El gobierno de Javier Milei oficializó que la Argentina no entrará a los Brics|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/el-gobierno-de-javier-milei-oficializo-que-la-argentina-no-entrara-a-los-brics-nid29122023/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229134619/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/el-gobierno-de-javier-milei-oficializo-que-la-argentina-no-entrara-a-los-brics-nid29122023/|archive-date=29 December 2023|access-date=29 December 2023|website=La Nación|language=es}}</ref>

By January 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined the bloc, making BRICS membership grow from five to nine countries, while Saudi Arabia delayed its membership.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 December 2023 |title=Brics: What is the group and which countries have joined? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-66525474 |access-date=8 January 2025 |publisher=[[BBC]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> Saudi Arabia did not join BRICS at the start of 2024 as had been planned, and it announced in mid-January that it was still considering the matter.<ref name="SA_reconsidering">{{Cite web|last1=El Dahan|first1=Maha|last2=Zhdannikov|first2=Dmitry|date=18 January 2024|title=Exclusive: Saudi Arabia still considering BRICS membership, sources say|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-considering-brics-membership-sources-2024-01-18/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208140859/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-considering-brics-membership-sources-2024-01-18/|archive-date=8 February 2024|access-date=23 March 2024|work=Reuters}}</ref> The organizers touted the expansion as part of a plan to build a competing [[Polarity (international relations)|multipolar]] [[world order]] that uses [[Global South]] countries to challenge and compete against the western-dominated world order.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ismail|first=Sumayya|date=24 August 2023|title=Saudi Arabia, Iran among 6 nations invited to join BRICS|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/8/24/saudi-arabia-iran-to-join-brics-as-grouping-admits-six-new-members|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824170532/https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/8/24/saudi-arabia-iran-to-join-brics-as-grouping-admits-six-new-members|archive-date=24 August 2023|access-date=24 August 2023|publisher=Al Jazeera|language=en}}</ref> ''[[China Daily]]'' used the expansion to claim that more developing countries were interested in joining BRICS.<ref>{{Cite web|last=杜娟|title=More nations interested in joining BRICS|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202407/17/WS66971e2da31095c51c50e7ae.html|access-date=19 July 2024|website=China Daily}}</ref>

On 24 October 2024, an additional 13 countries, namely [[Algeria]], [[Belarus]], [[Bolivia]], [[Cuba]], Indonesia, [[Kazakhstan]], [[Malaysia]], [[Nigeria]], [[Thailand]], [[Turkey]], [[Uganda]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Vietnam]], were invited to participate as "partner countries".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norman |first=Izzah Aqilah |date=24 October 2024 |title=Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand become partner countries of BRICS |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-indonesia-vietnam-thailand-brics-asean-global-south-russia-china-4699841 |access-date=7 January 2025 |website=CNA |language=en}}</ref> The partner status would allow these countries to engage with and benefit from BRICS initiatives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=de Carvalho |first=Gustavo |date=7 November 2024 |title=Reflections After the BRICS Summit: Membership, Payment Systems, and What Lies Ahead |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/reflections-after-brics-summit-membership-payment-systems-and-what-lies-ahead |access-date=7 January 2025 |website=Wilson Center |language=en}}</ref> It is unclear whether the countries in this tier have received official membership invitations.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Stuenkel |first1=Oliver |last2=Treadwell |first2=Margot |date=21 November 2024 |title=Why Is Saudi Arabia Hedging Its BRICS Invite? |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2024/11/brics-saudi-arabia-hedging-why?lang=en |access-date=7 January 2025 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}}</ref>

=== 2025 expansion ===

On 6 January 2025, Indonesia joined BRICS officially as a full member,<ref name="Global China Daily-1">{{cite web |last=Jin |first=Zhou |date=7 January 2025 |title=China congratulates Indonesia on becoming full member of BRICS |url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202501/07/WS677c119fa310f1265a1d942d.html |access-date=6 January 2025 |work=China Daily}}</ref> making it the first [[Southeast Asia]]n state to join the bloc, as well as the 10th member of BRICS. Jakarta's bid got the green light from the bloc in 2023, but the Southeast Asian country asked to join following the [[2024 Indonesian presidential election]].<ref name="Reuters-1" /> 2025's BRICS presidency leader and Brazil's Lula announced their official entry. Indonesia's history with the original BRIC members goes back to 2009, when some observers referred to a theorized grouping as "BRIIC"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/1121/bric-or-briic-|title=globalEDGE Blog: BRIC or BRIIC?|website=globalEDGE|publisher=Michigan State University|date=28 September 2011|last=Jacquier|first=Ben|access-date=29 May 2026}}</ref> or "BRICI", given Indonesia's growing and stable economy and ties to India and China.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Indonesia Will Have 1.2 Billion Internet Users by 2015, Says Report by The Boston Consulting Group |date=1 September 2010 |publisher=Globenewswire |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2010/09/01/924454/0/en/Brazil-Russia-India-China-and-Indonesia-Will-Have-1-2-Billion-Internet-Users-by-2015-Says-Report-by-The-Boston-Consulting-Group.html |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=globenewswire.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gelling |first=Peter |date=8 July 2009 |title=Indonesia Ready to Join the Rising Powers Club |url=https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/07/08/indonesia_ready_to_join_the_rising_powers_club.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722214710/https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/07/08/indonesia_ready_to_join_the_rising_powers_club.html |archive-date=22 July 2009 |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=realclearworld.com |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Michael |date=31 August 2010 |title=BRICI Web users to double by 2015 |url=https://www.fierce-network.com/europe/brici-web-users-to-double-by-2015 |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=fierce-network.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 2010 |title=The Internet's New Billion. Digital consumers in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Indonesia |url=https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/BCGInternetReport.pdf |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=Boston Consulting Group |via=WSJ}}</ref>

The partnerships that were announced in the previous year went into effect in January 2025 as well. Nigeria joined the partnership countries on 17 January.<ref>Ministério das Relações Exteriores: [https://www.gov.br/mre/en/contact-us/press-area/press-releases/nigeria-joins-brics-as-a-partner-country Nigeria joins BRICS as a partner country], published 17 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.</ref>

=== 2026: Caution on further expansion ===

In May 2026, Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergey Lavrov]] stated that BRICS would not rush further expansion at the current stage, emphasizing the need to streamline the grouping's work following its recent enlargement. Lavrov noted that several countries have expressed interest either in becoming full-fledged members or partner countries, but BRICS members have agreed to proceed cautiously. He added that BRICS continues to attract strong international interest as "a model of the future multipolar world order."<ref>{{cite news |title=Will not rush expansion of BRICS: Russian FM Lavrov, says need to streamline forum's work |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/will-not-rush-expansion-of-brics-russian-fm-lavrov-says-need-to-streamline-forums-work/ |work=The Tribune India |agency=ANI |date=15 May 2026 |access-date=16 May 2026}}</ref>

=== Status of Saudi Arabia===
Saudi Arabia's status within BRICS has been described inconsistently by official and independent sources. At the [[15th BRICS summit]] in Johannesburg in August 2023, Saudi Arabia was one of six countries invited to become full members of BRICS from 1 January 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=XV BRICS Summit: Johannesburg II Declaration|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/CPV/Declaration_2408.pdf|publisher=[[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India]]|date=24 August 2023|page=26|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=We have decided to invite ... the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ... to become full members of BRICS from 1 January 2024.}}</ref> Unlike Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which accepted invitations to join the group, Saudi Arabia did not publicly confirm that it had formally accepted its invitation. In January 2024, Saudi Minister of Commerce [[Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi]] stated that Saudi Arabia had "not yet officially joined BRICS".<ref>{{cite news|title=Saudi Arabia has not yet joined BRICS - minister|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=16 January 2024|quote=Saudi Arabia has been invited to attend BRICS, we have not yet officially joined BRICS.}}</ref> In May 2025, [[Reuters]] reported that Saudi Arabia had "held off formally joining" the group, despite being listed as a member on the official BRICS website.<ref name="ReutersSaudiBRICS">{{cite news|last1=Magid|first1=Pesha|last2=El Dahan|first2=Maha|last3=Saini|first3=Manya|title=Saudi Arabia sits on fence over BRICS with eye on vital ties with US|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-sits-fence-over-brics-with-eye-vital-ties-with-us-2025-05-08/|work=[[Reuters]]|date=8 May 2025|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=Saudi Arabia has held off formally joining the BRICS bloc}}</ref>

Official BRICS material has nevertheless classified Saudi Arabia as a full member. The website of the 2025 Brazilian BRICS presidency described BRICS as consisting of eleven countries, including Saudi Arabia, and listed the kingdom among the group's member countries.<ref name="BRICSSaudiMember">{{cite web|title=About the BRICS|url=https://brics.br/en/about-the-brics|website=BRICS Brasil|publisher=Government of Brazil|date=20 January 2025|quote=The eleven members – Brasil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates}}</ref> The [[Government of India]], which holds the 2026 BRICS presidency, has similarly treated Saudi Arabia as one of the eleven BRICS members. A July 2026 government release referred to the "eleven BRICS member countries" and included Saudi Arabia in the list,<ref>{{cite web|title=Under India's 2026 BRICS Chairship, BRICS Nations Move Towards Common Standardization Framework|url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2284542&lang=2&reg=48|website=[[Press Information Bureau]]|publisher=Government of India|date=14 July 2026|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=the eleven BRICS member countries}}</ref> while an August 2026 release stated that BRICS "brings together eleven" countries and again included Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Department of Telecommunications, Government of India to host BRICS ICT Track in Pune from 17 to 21 August 2026|url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2299836&lang=1&reg=3|website=[[Press Information Bureau]]|publisher=Government of India|date=15 August 2026|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=BRICS brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries}}</ref>

Saudi Arabia's own official terminology has remained inconsistent. During the [[17th BRICS summit]] in July 2025, the [[Saudi Press Agency]] (SPA) stated that Saudi Arabia was participating "as an invited country to join the BRICS group", rather than describing it as a member.<ref>{{cite news|title=On Behalf of HRH the Crown Prince, Foreign Minister Arrives in Brazil to Participate in BRICS Summit|url=https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2353352|work=[[Saudi Press Agency]]|date=7 July 2025|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=as an invited country to join the BRICS group}}</ref> This inconsistency continued during BRICS meetings in New Delhi in May 2026. On 14 May, SPA reported that the kingdom participated "in its capacity as a BRICS member country",<ref name="SPA-member-2026">{{cite news|title=On Behalf of Foreign Minister, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Takes Part in BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting|url=https://spa.gov.sa/en/N2586193|work=[[Saudi Press Agency]]|date=14 May 2026|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=The Kingdom participated in its capacity as a BRICS member country.}}</ref> while a report issued the following day stated that "Saudi Arabia participated as an invited country".<ref name="SPA-invited-2026">{{cite news|title=Vice Foreign Minister Participates in BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in India|url=https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2586765|work=[[Saudi Press Agency]]|date=15 May 2026|access-date=26 August 2026|quote=Saudi Arabia participated as an invited country.}}</ref>

Consequently, Saudi Arabia is listed as a BRICS member by official BRICS sources and is treated as one by other members of the organization, while Saudi Arabia continues to maintain ambiguity regarding its status.<ref name="ReutersSaudiBRICS"/><ref name="BRICSSaudiMember"/><ref name="SPA-member-2026"/><ref name="SPA-invited-2026"/>

== Statistics ==

BRICS+ accounts for 46% of the world's population,<ref name="PC">{{Cite journal |last1=Afota |first1=Amandine |last2=Burban |first2=Valentin |last3=Diev |first3=Pavel |last4=Grieco |first4=Fabio |last5=Iberrakene |first5=Théo |last6=Ishii |first6=Karine |last7=Lopez-Forero |first7=Margarita |last8=Paul |first8=Quentin |last9=Sammeth |first9=Frank |last10=Valadier |first10=Cécile |date=13 February 2024 |title=Expansion of BRICS: what are the potential consequences for the global economy? |url=https://www.banque-france.fr/en/publications-and-statistics/publications/expansion-brics-what-are-potential-consequences-global-economy |journal=Bank of France Bulletin |publisher=Bank of France |volume=Bulletin No. 250, article 2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226083644/https://www.banque-france.fr/en/publications-and-statistics/publications/expansion-brics-what-are-potential-consequences-global-economy |archive-date=26 February 2024}}</ref> and 25% of the world's landmass.<ref name="APRI-Sarpong">{{Cite news |last1=Sarpong |first1=Emmanuel Frimpong |last2=Sibiri |first2=Hagan |date=19 December 2024 |title=Building a bloc from BRICS: Assessing China's strategic interests and influence |url=https://afripoli.org/building-a-bloc-from-brics-assessing-chinas-strategic-interests-and-influence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219162830/https://afripoli.org/building-a-bloc-from-brics-assessing-chinas-strategic-interests-and-influence |archive-date=19 December 2024 |access-date=14 January 2025 |work=Africa Policy Research Private Institute (APRI) |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> The collective GDP of the member countries grew substantially between 1990 and 2019.<ref name="SC">{{Cite journal |last1=Hluszko |first1=Cleiton |last2=Ramos Huarachi |first2=Diego Alexis |last3=Castillo Ulloa |first3=Micaela Ines |last4=Salvador |first4=Rodrigo |last5=Puglieri |first5=Fabio Neves |last6=de Francisco |first6=Antonio Carlos |date=December 2024 |title=How do the BRICS approach sustainable concerns? A systematic literature review |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2211464524001131 |journal=Environmental Development |language=en |volume=52 |article-number=101075 |doi=10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101075|bibcode=2024EnvDe..5201075H |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 2022, the BRICS+ share of world GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) was 35.6%,<ref name="PC" /> and intra-BRICS trade reached US$614.8{{nbsp}}billion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liang |first=Yan |date=2 February 2024 |title=BRICS Expansion: Economic Cooperation and Implications |url=http://www.taiheinstitute.org/Content/2024/02-02/1954124404.html |access-date=17 January 2025 |website=Taihe Institute}}</ref> BRICS+ countries operate over 1,200 satellites in orbit,<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2024 |title=BRICS Heads of Space Agencies Meet in Moscow |url=https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/news/v-moskve-proshla-vstrecha-glav-kosmicheskikh-agentstv-stran-briks/ |access-date=20 March 2025 |website=brics-russia2024.ru BRICS 2024 |language= |archive-date=24 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241024165232/https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/news/v-moskve-proshla-vstrecha-glav-kosmicheskikh-agentstv-stran-briks/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and account for approximately 40% of the world's internet users.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chandola |first1=Basu |last2=Patil |first2=Sameer |date=March 2025 |title=Balancing Development and Digital Harms: Assessing the BRICS Digital Agenda |url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/balancing-development-and-digital-harms-assessing-the-brics-digital-agenda |website=Observer Research Foundation |series=ORF Issue Brief No. 789}}</ref> According to a 2022 International Trade Centre report, digital payment adoption was 87% in Russia, 86% in China, 81% in South Africa, 77% in Brazil, and 35% in India.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.intracen.org/file/itcbricsdigitaleconomyreport2022pdf |title=BRICS Digital Economy Report 2022 |publisher=[[International Trade Centre]] |year=2022 |page=17 |chapter=Market trends in key digital economy segments |access-date=29 March 2025}}</ref>

[[File:BRICS AND G7 GDP Nominal share between 1990 to 2024.png|thumb|left|350px|A graph illustrating the estimated nominal '''GDP (nominal)''' share of the BRICS and G7 countries from 1990 to 2025]]

Brazil, India, and China are among the world's ten [[List of countries by population|largest countries by population]], [[List of countries and dependencies by area|area]], and gross domestic product (GDP, nominal and [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|PPP]]). All five initial member states are members of the [[G20]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.g20.in/en/about-g20/about-g20.html|title=About G20|publisher=G20 India|access-date=16 March 2026|archive-date=2 March 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260302074431/https://www.g20.in/en/about-g20/about-g20.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> with a combined nominal GDP of [[United States dollar|US$]]28{{nbsp}}trillion (about 27% of the gross world product), a total GDP (PPP) of around US$65{{nbsp}}trillion (35% of global GDP PPP), and an estimated US$5.2{{nbsp}}trillion in combined foreign reserves (as of 2024).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/weo-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430112801/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/weo-report |archive-date=30 April 2023 |access-date=30 October 2024 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=November 2024}} BRICS generated close to 32% of global economic output (GDP PPP) in 2022.<ref name="WH">{{Cite journal |last1=Duric |first1=Ivan |last2=Glauben |first2=Thomas |year=2024 |title=BRICS: World Heavyweight in Agricultural Trade |url=https://www.intereconomics.eu/contents/year/2024/number/3/article/brics-world-heavyweight-in-agricultural-trade.html#footnote-003 |journal=Intereconomics |language=en |volume=2024 |issue=3 |pages=160–166 }}</ref> The expanded BRICS+ generates 36% of global GDP.<ref name="WH" />

Taking into account the GDP PPP of the BRICS+, China accounts for 52%.<ref name="PC" /> Economically, the group represents $28.5{{nbsp}}trillion.<ref name="CS">{{Cite web |last=Chaudhary |first=Himanshi |date=13 November 2024 |title=Chabahar, Sanctions, and BRICS: Iran's New Path Forward with India |url=https://iranwire.com/en/politics/136020-chabahar-sanctions-and-brics-irans-new-path-forward-with-india/ |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=Iran Wire |language=en}}</ref> BRICS+ has a larger GDP than both the G7 and the EU.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |date=22 October 2024 |title=Putin returns to world stage hosting 36 leaders at Brics summit in Russia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/22/putin-brics-summit-russia-china-india-iran-kazan |access-date=24 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The share of the Chinese [[renminbi]] in total intra-BRICS trade transactions is about 47%.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Sushil |last2=Shahid |first2=Afsah |last3=Agarwal |first3=Manmohan |date=20 December 2024 |title=Is BRICS Expansion Significant for Global Trade and GDP? |url=https://brics-econ.arphahub.com/article/139877/ |journal=BRICS Journal of Economics |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=5–36 |doi=10.3897/brics-econ.5.e139877 |issn=2712-7508 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gnidchenko |first=Andrey |date=12 September 2023 |title=Bargaining power, product differentiation, and currency patterns in intra-BRICS trade |url=https://brics-econ.arphahub.com/article/102638/ |journal=BRICS Journal of Economics |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=285–299 |doi=10.3897/brics-econ.4.e102638 |issn=2712-7508 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2017 BRICS accounted for 19% of global investment inflows.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chatterjee |first1=Mihika |last2=Naka |first2=Ikuno |date=2 January 2022 |title=Twenty years of BRICS: political and economic transformations through the lens of land |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13600818.2022.2033191 |journal=Oxford Development Studies |language=en |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=2–13 |doi=10.1080/13600818.2022.2033191 |issn=1360-0818|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
[[File:GDP BRICS G7.svg|thumb|400px| Percent of share of [[G7]] and BRICS '''GDP (PPP)''' in world economy as from 1990 to 2022]]
In 2024, the [[List of countries by share of informal employment in total employment|informality rate]] was 62% while the labour force participation was 60.8%.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 January 2024 |title=The ILO and the BRICS |url=https://www.ilo.org/about-ilo/how-ilo-works/ilo-and-multilateral-system/ilo-and-brics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106115632/https://www.ilo.org/about-ilo/how-ilo-works/ilo-and-multilateral-system/ilo-and-brics |archive-date=6 January 2025 |access-date=6 January 2025 |website=International Labour Organization |language=en}}</ref> BRICS+ oil production is almost 30% of global oil output.<ref name="CW">{{Cite web |last=Seli |first=Yeshi |date=27 October 2024 |title=Why BRICS is a counterweight to 'Group of Seven' rich nations |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/explainers/2024/Oct/27/why-brics-is-a-counterweight-to-group-of-seven-rich-nations |access-date=14 January 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> BRICS contribute to 45% of the global agricultural products.<ref name="SC" /> BRICS countries produce 42% of the world's wheat, 52% of rice, and 46% of soybeans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=South |first=Vox |date=6 November 2024 |title=Why is BRICS so popular among Global South countries? |url=https://www.idcpc.org.cn/english2023/opinion/202411/t20241108_165925.html |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=International Department of Central Committee of CPC}}</ref>

According to the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]], the collective size of the economies of BRICS+ will overtake G7 after 2045.<ref name="CW" /> United States and United Kingdom have been the top two investors in the bloc in terms of FDI stock in 2020.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2023 |title=BRICS Investment Report |url=https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/diae2023d1_en.pdf |publisher=United Nations |isbn=978-92-1-002582-9}}</ref>{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = GDP nominal share in percentage (as of 2022)
| label1 = [[G7]]
| value1 = 43.70
| color1 = #0000FF
| label2 = BRICS +
| value2 = 28.70
| color2 = #FF0000
| label3 = Rest of world
| value3 = 27.6
| color3 = #808080
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan ="3"|Comparison between original BRICS-5 and G7 Countries (2024 data)
|-
!Parameter
!BRICS
![[G7]]
|-
!No. of countries
|5
|7
|-
![[List of countries and dependencies by area|Area]] (km<sup>2</sup>)
|'''39.7{{nbsp}}million'''
|21.7{{nbsp}}million
|-
![[List of countries and dependencies by population|Population]]
|'''3.3{{nbsp}}billion'''
|0.8{{nbsp}}billion
|-
![[List of countries and dependencies by population density|Population Density]] (people/km<sup>2</sup>)
| 83
| 37
|-
![[Human Development Index|HDI]]
|0.734
|'''0.92 '''
|-
![[List of countries by real GDP growth rate|GDP Growth Rate]]
|{{increase}} '''4 to 5%'''
|{{increase}} 1.5 to 2%
|-
![[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|Nominal GDP]] (USD)<ref>{{cite web |author=International Monetary Fund |title=World Economic Outlook Database, April 2023 |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |access-date=15 May 2023 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413194731/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 26.7{{nbsp}}trillion
| '''45.3{{nbsp}}trillion'''
|-
![[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|GDP PPP]] (USD)
| '''51.6{{nbsp}}trillion'''
| 48{{nbsp}}trillion
|-
![[List of countries by exports|Exports]] (USD)
|5.5{{nbsp}}trillion
|'''6.7{{nbsp}}trillion'''
|-
![[List of countries by imports|Imports]] (USD)
|4.8{{nbsp}}trillion
|'''8.5{{nbsp}}trillion'''
|-
![[List of countries with highest military expenditures|Military expenditures]] (USD)
|0.48{{nbsp}}trillion
|'''1.20{{nbsp}}trillion'''
|}
*<small>'''Bold''' indicates has higher value compared to other.</small>
{{Clear}}

== Rotating BRICS presidency ==

Leaders' meetings (or leaders' summits) are held once a year on a rotating basis.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last1=Long |first1=Zhao |url=https://www.siis.org.cn/updates/cms/cms/202503/12165827ixcc.pdf |title=Decoding Greater BRICS Cooperation: A Non-Western Path to a Shared Development Community |last2=Qiyue |first2=Zhang |last3=Haijie |first3=Yu |last4=Ming |first4=Zhu |last5=Baozhi |first5=Cheng |date=March 2025 |publisher=Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) |volume=43 |pages=4, 5, 11}}</ref> The presidency rotates annually among the member states, with the host country holding the Pro Tempore presidency for that calendar year. Several ministerial meetings are held during the year, for example, between foreign ministers, finance ministers, central bank governors, trade ministers, and energy ministers.<ref name=":4" /> Technical-level meetings focus on project implementation and technical exchanges, such as the meeting of BRICS heads of national statistics offices.<ref name=":4" /> There are working groups on technology, culture, education, health, etc. Specialized forums exist, such as the BRICS Business Forum and the BRICS Think Tank Council.<ref name=":4" /> The BRICS has neither a permanent seat nor a secretariat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2024 |editor-last=Holtzmann |editor-first=Hans-Dieter |editor2-last=Voort |editor2-first=Akim van der |title=BRICS Enlargement: A strategic move or a wake-up call for the West? |url=https://www.freiheit.org/publikation/brics-enlargement |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250712184913/https://www.freiheit.org/publikation/brics-enlargement |archive-date=12 July 2025 |website=Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom |page=17 |access-date=12 July 2025 }}</ref>

In 2019, Brazil held the Pro Tempore presidency, prioritizing cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and the digital economy, combating [[transnational organized crime]], and enhancing ties between the New Development Bank and the BRICS Business Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Calendar of Meetings/Events for South Africa's 2018 BRICS Chairship |url=http://brics.itamaraty.gov.br/images/CALENDARIOPRESIDENCIAAFRICANA.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730203248/http://brics.itamaraty.gov.br/images/CALENDARIOPRESIDENCIAAFRICANA.pdf |archive-date=30 July 2018 |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="BRICS Brazil">{{Cite web |title=Theme and priorities |url=http://brics2019.itamaraty.gov.br/en/2019-brazilian-presidency/theme-and-priorities |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828170201/http://brics2019.itamaraty.gov.br/en/2019-brazilian-presidency/theme-and-priorities |archive-date=28 August 2019 |access-date=26 July 2019 |website=BRICS BRASIL 2019}}</ref> In 2024, Russia held the presidency, focusing on mutual investment, energy and environmental initiatives, public health, social policy, and regional security dialogues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS information portal |url=http://infobrics.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322122341/http://infobrics.org/ |archive-date=22 March 2017 |access-date=26 October 2020 |website=BRICS |language=en}}</ref> India assumed the Pro Tempore presidency for 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 December 2025 |title=Brasil Hands Over BRICS Presidency to India |url=https://brics.br/en/news/brasil-hands-over-brics-presidency-to-india |website=brics.br}}</ref>

== List of summits ==
{{anchor|Summits}}

The grouping has held annual summits since 2009, with member countries taking turns to host. Before South Africa's admission, two BRIC summits were held, in 2009 and 2010. The first five-member BRICS summit was held in 2011 in China. The first nine-member BRICS summit was held in 2024 in Russia. The 2020, 2021, and 2022 summits were held via videoconference due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! No. !! Dates !! Host country !! Host leader !! Location !! Notes
!Declaration
|-
| [[1st BRIC summit|1st]] || 16 June 2009 || {{flagu|Russia}} || [[Dmitry Medvedev]] || [[Yekaterinburg]] || Focused on global economic recovery, financial institution reform amid the Great Recession, food security, and greater representation for emerging economies in international bodies.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2018 |title=What is BRICS |url=https://africa-facts.org/what-is-brics/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731171007/https://africa-facts.org/what-is-brics/ |archive-date=31 July 2020 |access-date=3 November 2020 |website=Africa Facts |language=en-US}}</ref>
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/090616-leaders.html Joint Statement]
|-
| [[2nd BRIC summit|2nd]] || 15 April 2010 || {{flagu|Brazil}} || {{nowrap|[[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]]}} || [[Brasília]] || Addressed post-crisis economic recovery, IMF reform, energy security, and climate change. South African President [[Jacob Zuma]] and Palestinian Foreign Minister [[Riyad al-Maliki]] attended as guests.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/100415-leaders.html Joint Statement]
|-
| [[3rd BRICS summit|3rd]] || 14 April 2011 || {{flagu|China}} || [[Hu Jintao]] || [[Sanya]] || First summit to include South Africa as a full member. Discussions focused on international monetary system reform, commodities price volatility, and multilateral governance.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/110414-leaders.html Sanya Declaration]
|-
| [[4th BRICS summit|4th]] || 29 March 2012 || {{flagu|India}} || [[Manmohan Singh]] || [[New Delhi]] || Focused on global governance reform, sustainable development, and intra-bloc trade. The proposed [[BRICS Cable]] submarine telecommunications project was announced.<ref name="dx.doi.org">{{Cite book |title=Effectiveness of Aid for Trade in Small and Vulnerable Economies |date=15 March 2011 |publisher=Commonwealth |isbn=978-1-84859-100-4 |series=Economic Paper |pages=30–37 |chapter=How aid for trade could help SVEs integrate in the global economy |doi=10.14217/9781848591004-6-en |access-date=3 November 2020 |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.14217/9781848591004-6-en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231212740/https://www.thecommonwealth-ilibrary.org/index.php/comsec/catalog/view/257/254/1926 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/19158/Fourth+BRICS+Summit++Delhi+Declaration Delhi Declaration]
|-
| [[5th BRICS summit|5th]] || {{nowrap|26–27 March 2013}} || {{nowrap|{{flagu|South Africa}}}} || [[Jacob Zuma]] || [[Durban]] || Agreed on the establishment of the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement. The BRICS Business Council and Think Tanks Council were formally launched.<ref name="dx.doi.org" />
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/21482 eThekwini Declaration and Action Plan]
|-
| [[6th BRICS summit|6th]] || 14–17 July 2014 || {{flagu|Brazil}} || [[Dilma Rousseff]] || [[Fortaleza]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2013 |title=A Cúpula de Durban e o futuro dos BRICS |url=http://www.postwesternworld.com/2013/07/04/a-cupula-de-durban-e-o-futuro-dos-brics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907140905/http://www.postwesternworld.com/2013/07/04/a-cupula-de-durban-e-o-futuro-dos-brics/ |archive-date=7 September 2013 |access-date=7 November 2013 |publisher=Post-Western World}}</ref> || Formal treaties signed establishing the US$100 billion [[New Development Bank]] and the [[BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement]].<ref name="invitation2">{{Cite web |date=12 July 2014 |title=BRICS summit: PM Modi to leave for Brazil tomorrow, will seek reforms |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-to-leave-for-brazil-tomorrow-for-brics-summit/article1-1239519.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713100114/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-to-leave-for-brazil-tomorrow-for-brics-summit/article1-1239519.aspx |archive-date=13 July 2014 |access-date=12 July 2014 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref><ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
| [http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/140715-leaders.html Fortaleza] [http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/140715-leaders.html Declaration and Action Plan]
|-
| [[7th BRICS summit|7th]] || 8–9 July 2015 || {{flagu|Russia}} || [[Vladimir Putin]] || [[Ufa]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ufa to host SCO and BRICS summits in 2015 |url=http://ufacity.info/eng/press/news/117306.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325165310/http://ufacity.info/eng/press/news/117306.html |archive-date=25 March 2014 |access-date=7 November 2013 |publisher=UfaCity.info}}</ref> || Held jointly with the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation|SCO]] and [[Eurasian Economic Union|EAEU]] summits; entry into force of the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/150709-ufa-declaration_en.html Ufa Declaration]
|-
| [[8th BRICS summit|8th]] || 15–16 October 2016 || {{flagu|India}} || [[Narendra Modi]] || [[Benaulim]], [[Goa]] || Joint outreach summit with [[BIMSTEC]]; adopted the Goa Declaration focusing on counterterrorism, trade facilitation, and environmental sustainability.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/27491/Goa+Declaration+at+8th+BRICS+Summit Goa Declaration]
|-
| [[9th BRICS summit|9th]] || 3–5 September 2017 || {{flagu|China}} || [[Xi Jinping]] || [[Xiamen]] || Included the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries (EMDCD); focused on practical economic cooperation, trade liberalization, and international security.<ref name="What is BRICS {{!}} Africa Facts" />
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/uploads/publicationdocs/28912_xiamendeclaratoin.pdf Xiamen Declaration]
|-
| [[10th BRICS summit|10th]] || 25–27 July 2018 || {{flagu|South Africa}} || [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] || [[Johannesburg]] || Focused on industrial collaboration, inclusive growth, and cooperation during the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/30190/10th_BRICS_Summit_Johannesburg_Declaration Johannesburg Declaration]
|-
| [[11th BRICS summit|11th]] || 13–14 November 2019 || {{flagu|Brazil}} || [[Jair Bolsonaro]] || [[Brasília]]<ref name="BRICS Brazil" /> || Themed "Economic Growth for an Innovative Future"; discussed science, technology, innovation, and joint initiatives against transnational organized crime and money laundering.
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/191114-brasilia.html Brasilía Declaration]
|-
| [[12th BRICS summit|12th]] || 21–23 July 2020 (postponed due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 May 2020 |title=BRICS and the SCO summits postponed Official website of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship in 2020 |url=https://eng.brics-russia2020.ru/news/20200527/395729/BRICS-and-the-SCO-summits-postponed.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117002623/https://eng.brics-russia2020.ru/news/20200527/395729/BRICS-and-the-SCO-summits-postponed.html |archive-date=17 November 2020 |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=eng.brics-russia2020.ru}}</ref><br /> 17 November 2020 (video conference)<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 October 2020 |title=BRICS Summit to be held virtually on Nov 17; strengthening cooperation, global stability on agenda |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/brics-summit-to-be-held-virtually-on-nov-17-cooperation-strengthening-global-stability-on-agenda/story-Io02j2Xpb81KAx03C13O1M.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005132156/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/brics-summit-to-be-held-virtually-on-nov-17-cooperation-strengthening-global-stability-on-agenda/story-Io02j2Xpb81KAx03C13O1M.html |archive-date=5 October 2020 |access-date=5 October 2020 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>|| {{flagu|Russia}} || [[Vladimir Putin]] || [[Saint Petersburg]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2019 |title=Путин заявил о переносе саммитов БРИКС и ШОС из Челябинска |url=https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5d3209879a7947184d6b66f9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719211012/https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5d3209879a7947184d6b66f9 |archive-date=19 July 2019 |access-date=19 July 2019}}</ref> || Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic; addressed pandemic response, public health coordination, and economic recovery.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaudhury |first=Dipanjan Roy |title=BRICS Summit to be held virtually on November 17 |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/brics-summit-to-be-held-virtually-on-november-17/articleshow/78495022.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116003235/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/brics-summit-to-be-held-virtually-on-november-17/articleshow/78495022.cms |archive-date=16 November 2020 |access-date=20 October 2020 |work=The Economic Times}}</ref>
|[http://brics2022.mfa.gov.cn/eng/hywj/ODS/202203/t20220308_10649500.html Moscow Declaration]
|-
| [[13th BRICS summit|13th]] || 9 September 2021 (video conference) || {{flagu|India}} || [[Narendra Modi]] || [[New Delhi]] || Themed "BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus"; addressed counterterrorism, digital health, and multilateral system reforms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2025 |title=Brief on BRICS |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/BRICS-2025.pdf |website=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kundu |first=Nivedita Das |date=9 April 2021 |title=BRICS@15: India to Chair 13th BRICS Summit |url=https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-15-india-to-chair-13th-brics-summit/?sphrase_id=1717569 |access-date=31 March 2025 |website=[[Valdai Discussion Club]]}}</ref>
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/210909-New-Delhi-Declaration.html New Delhi Declaration]
|-
| [[14th BRICS summit|14th]] || 23 June 2022 (video conference) || {{flagu|China}} || [[Xi Jinping]] || Beijing || Held virtually; leaders discussed international trade resilience, pandemic recovery, and preliminary proposals for alternative international reserve settlement mechanisms.
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35435/XIV+BRICS+Summit+Beijing+Declaration Beijing Declaration]
|-
| [[15th BRICS summit|15th]] || 22–24 August 2023 || {{flagu|South Africa}} || [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] ||[[Johannesburg]]|| Agreed on the historic expansion of the bloc, inviting Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.<ref name="BC" /><ref name="NM" /> Argentina subsequently declined the invitation,<ref name="Argentinanot2" /> while Saudi Arabia deferred formal ratification.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Saudi Arabia has not yet joined BRICS – Saudi official source |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/saudi-arabia-has-not-yet-joined-brics-saudi-official-source-2024-02-01/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212204323/https://www.reuters.com/world/saudi-arabia-has-not-yet-joined-brics-saudi-official-source-2024-02-01/ |archive-date=12 February 2024 |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/230823-declaration.html Johannesburg II Declaration]
|-
| [[16th BRICS summit|16th]] || 22–24 October 2024 || {{flagu|Russia}} || [[Vladimir Putin]]|| [[Kazan]] || First summit attended by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as member states;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Mahendra Kumar |date=2 January 2025 |title=BRICS 2024: Paving the Path for Economic Growth and Trade Cooperation |url=https://indiafoundation.in/articles-and-commentaries/brics-2024-paving-the-path-for-economic-growth-and-trade-cooperation/ |access-date=8 February 2025 |website=India Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Korostovtseva |first=Yekaterina |date=5 March 2024 |script-title=ru:Юрий Ушаков: БРИКС на деле выражает интересы мирового большинства |trans-title=Yuriy Ushakov: BRICS expresses the interests of the world majority in practice |url=https://tass.ru/interviews/20149675 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418041608/https://tass.ru/interviews/20149675 |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=18 April 2024 |language=ru |trans-quote=The main event of Russia's chairmanship will, of course, be the 22–24 October BRICS summit in Kazan. |agency=TASS |script-quote=ru:«Главным событием российского председательства, разумеется, станет саммит БРИКС в Казани 22–24 октября».}}</ref> delegations from 35 countries and six international organizations participated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2024 |title=News conference following 16th BRICS Summit |url=https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/news/press-konferentsiya-po-itogam-xvi-sammita-briks/ |access-date=6 December 2024 |website=brics-russia2024.ru |archive-date=8 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208045203/https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/news/press-konferentsiya-po-itogam-xvi-sammita-briks/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="KR">{{Cite web |date=8 November 2024 |title=Outcome of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)766243 |access-date=6 December 2024 |website=Think Tank, European Parliament |archive-date=7 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207194250/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)766243 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Calendar |url=https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/calendar/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220054135/https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/calendar/ |archive-date=20 December 2024 |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=BRICS Summit Kazan. 22–24 October 2024. brics-russia2024.ru }}</ref>
|[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/241023-declaration.html Kazan Declaration]
|-
| [[17th BRICS summit|17th]] || 6–7 July 2025 || {{flagu|Brazil}} || [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] || [[Rio de Janeiro]] || First summit with Indonesia as a full member.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 January 2025 |title=Brasil assume a presidência do BRICS em 2025 |trans-title=Brazil assumes BRICS presidency in 2025 |url=https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/acompanhe-o-planalto/noticias/2025/01/brasil-assume-a-presidencia-do-brics-em-2025 |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=[[Itamaraty Palace|Itamaraty]] |language=pt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 December 2024 |title=Paes diz que reunião da cúpula do Brics será no Rio em 2025 |trans-title=Paes says BRICS summit meeting will be held in Rio in 2025 |url=https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2024/12/06/paes-reuniao-da-cupula-do-brics.ghtml |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=[[G1 (website)|G1]] |language=pt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 February 2025 |title=Rio é anunciado como sede da reunião de cúpula do Brics em julho |url=https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2025/02/15/reuniao-de-chefes-de-estado-do-brics-sera-no-rio-de-janeiro-diz-ministro-das-relacoes-exteriores.ghtml |work=g1.globo.com |language=pt}}</ref> Addressed multilateral AI regulation and issued statements against trade protectionism.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=John |date=8 July 2025 |title=BRICS Leaders Highlight AI's Potential and Risks in Rio Declaration |url=https://www.apnews.com/article/brics-ai-innovation-digital-divide-2025 |access-date=19 July 2025 |work=AP News |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=July 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS Urges UN to Lead Global AI Regulation Efforts |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66245678 |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=BBC News |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=July 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Marc |date=29 April 2025 |title=BRICS ministers fail to reach joint statement, Brazil warns against protectionism |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/brics-ministers-fail-reach-joint-statement-brazil-warns-against-protectionism-2025-04-29/ |access-date=16 July 2025 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>
|[https://brics.br/en/documents/presidency-documents/250705-brics-leaders-declaration-en.pdf/@@download/file Rio Declaration]<ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS Summit signs historic commitment in Rio for more inclusive and sustainable governance |url=https://brics.br/en/news/brics-summit-signs-historic-commitment-in-rio-for-more-inclusive-and-sustainable-governance |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=brics.br |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[18th BRICS summit|18th]] || 12–13 September 2026 || {{flagu|India}} || [[Narendra Modi]] || [[New Delhi]]||Focusing on supply chain resilience, cross-border payments, and utilizing national currencies for trade.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/18th-brics-summit-2026-world-leaders-attending-in-new-delhi-india-role-key-agenda/article71445723.ece |title=18th BRICS Summit 2026 world leaders attending in New Delhi India - Role key agenda |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=11 September 2026}}</ref> Addressing regional conflicts, including developments in West Asia and the Black Sea region impacting maritime trade.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/brics-summit-2026-live-updates-pm-modi-putin-xi-jinping-iran-pezeshkian-trade-bharat-mandapam-traffic-delhi-russia-china-101789089129174.html |title=BRICS Summit 2026 Live - Updates PM Modi, Putin, Xi Jinping - Iran - Pezeshkian trade - Bharat Mandapam - traffic - Delhi - Russia - China |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en |date=11 September 2026 |access-date=11 September 2026}}</ref>
|[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents?dtl/41776/BRICS_New_Delhi_Declaration_Building_for_Resilience_Innovation_Cooperation_and_Sustainability_September_12_2026 New Delhi Declaration]
|}

==Member states==
{{Main|Member states of BRICS}}

{{hatnote|Note: Barring Saudi Arabia, the countries are listed in order on BRICS' [https://www.brics2026.gov.in/about-us/#about_members official website].}}
{{gallery|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=90
|{{getalias2|Brazil|flag alias}}|[[Brazil]]
|{{getalias2|China|flag alias}}|[[China]]
|{{getalias2|Egypt|flag alias}}|[[Egypt]]
|{{getalias2|Ethiopia|flag alias}}|[[Ethiopia]]
|{{getalias2|India|flag alias}}|[[India]]
|{{getalias2|Indonesia|flag alias}}|[[Indonesia]]
|{{getalias2|Iran|flag alias}}|[[Iran]]
|{{getalias2|Russia|flag alias}}|[[Russia]]
|{{getalias2|South Africa|flag alias}}|[[South Africa]]
|{{getalias2|United Arab Emirates|flag alias}}|[[United Arab Emirates]]||}}
{{center|'''Disputed member:'''}}
{{gallery|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=90
|{{getalias2|Saudi Arabia|flag alias}}|[[Saudi Arabia]]
}}
{{Excerpt|Member states of BRICS#Member states|subsections=yes}}

==Financial architecture==
[[File:Signing of documents at 6th BRICS Summit.jpeg|right|thumb|The New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) were signed into treaty at the 2014 BRICS summit in Brazil.]]

The group is dominated by [[China]], which has the largest share of the group's GDP, accounting for about 70% of the organization's total.<ref name="BE"/> The financial architecture of BRICS is made of the [[New Development Bank]] (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). These components were signed into a treaty in 2014 and became active in 2015.

===New Development Bank===

{{Further|New Development Bank}}

The New Development Bank (NDB), formally referred to as the BRICS Development Bank,<ref name="headq">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140812062235/http://indiasnaps.com/brics-bank-to-be-headquartered-in-shanghai-india-to-hold-presidency/ "BRICS Bank to be headquartered in Shanghai, India to hold presidency"]}}. Indiasnaps.com. 16 July 2014</ref> is a [[multilateral development bank]] operated by the five BRICS states. The bank's primary focus of lending is infrastructure projects<ref name="allabout">{{Cite news |last1=Desai |first1=Raj M. |last2=Vreeland |first2=James Raymond |date=17 July 2014 |title=What the new bank of BRICS is all about |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/07/17/what-the-new-bank-of-brics-is-all-about/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717190437/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/07/17/what-the-new-bank-of-brics-is-all-about/ |archive-date=17 July 2014 |access-date=20 July 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="hpos">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2014 |title=New BRICS Bank a Building Block of Alternative World Order |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/parag-khanna/new-brics-bank_b_5600027.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719184109/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/parag-khanna/new-brics-bank_b_5600027.html |archive-date=19 July 2014 |access-date=20 July 2014 |work=HuffPost}}</ref> with authorized lending of up to $34{{nbsp}}billion annually.<ref name="hpos" /> South Africa hosts the African headquarters of the bank.<ref name="bill">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2014 |title=BRICS countries launch $100 billion developmental bank, currency pool |url=https://www.rbth.com/world/2014/07/16/brics_countries_launch_100_billion_developmental_bank_currency_pool_36733 |access-date=20 July 2014 |publisher=Russia & India Report |archive-date=26 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526230615/https://www.rbth.com/world/2014/07/16/brics_countries_launch_100_billion_developmental_bank_currency_pool_36733 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bank has a starting capital of $50{{nbsp}}billion, with wealth increased to $100{{nbsp}}billion over time.<ref name="ready">{{Cite news |date=10 July 2014 |title=BRICS Bank ready for launch – Russian Finance Minister |url=https://www.rbth.com/economics/2014/07/10/brics_bank_ready_for_launch_-_russian_finance_minister_36599 |access-date=20 July 2014 |publisher=Russia & India Report |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928033428/https://www.rbth.com/economics/2014/07/10/brics_bank_ready_for_launch_-_russian_finance_minister_36599 |url-status=live }}</ref> Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa initially contributed $10{{nbsp}}billion each to bring the total to $50{{nbsp}}billion.<ref name="bill" /><ref name="ready" /> As of 2020, it had 53 projects underway worth around $15{{nbsp}}billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.ndb.int/about-us/essence/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201122225/https://www.ndb.int/about-us/essence/history/ |archive-date=1 December 2020 |access-date=9 November 2020 |website=New Development Bank |language=en-US}}</ref> By 2024 the bank had approved more than $32{{nbsp}}billion for 96 projects.<ref name="BG">{{Cite web |last=Ferragamo |first=Mariel |date=12 December 2024 |title=What Is the BRICS Group and Why Is It Expanding? |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-brics-group-and-why-it-expanding |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay joined the NDB.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strohecker |first=Karin |date=2 September 2021 |editor-last=Blair |editor-first=Edmund |title=BRICS development bank admits UAE, Bangladesh, Uruguay as new members |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brics-development-bank-admits-uae-bangladesh-uruguay-new-members-2021-09-02/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312064641/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brics-development-bank-admits-uae-bangladesh-uruguay-new-members-2021-09-02/ |archive-date=12 March 2022 |access-date=12 March 2022 |work=Reuters}}</ref>

=== BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement ===

{{Further|BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement}}

The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for protecting against global liquidity pressures.<ref name="allabout" /><ref name="ready" /><ref name="rics">{{Cite news |date=17 July 2014 |title=BRICS currency fund to protect members from volatility – Russia's top banker |url=https://www.rbth.com/world/2014/07/17/brics_currency_fund_to_protect_members_from_volatility_-_russias_top_ba_36767 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925014216/https://www.rbth.com/world/2014/07/17/brics_currency_fund_to_protect_members_from_volatility_-_russias_top_ba_36767 |archive-date=25 September 2020 |access-date=20 July 2014 |publisher=Russia & India Report}}</ref> This includes currency issues where members' national currencies are being adversely affected by global financial pressures.<ref name="allabout" /><ref name="rics" /> Emerging economies that experienced rapid economic liberalization went through increased economic volatility, bringing an uncertain macroeconomic environment.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Biziwick |first1=Mayamiko |last2=Cattaneo |first2=Nicolette |last3=Fryer |first3=David |year=2015 |title=The rationale for and potential role of the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement |journal=South African Journal of International Affairs |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=307–324 |doi=10.1080/10220461.2015.1069208 |s2cid=153695521}}</ref> The CRA competes with the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF). Along with the [[New Development Bank]], it is an example of increasing South-South cooperation.<ref name="allabout" /> It was established in 2015 by the BRICS countries. The legal basis is formed by the ''Treaty for the Establishment of a BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement'', signed in Fortaleza in July 2014. Its inaugural meetings of the BRICS CRA Governing Council and Standing Committee were held on 4 September 2015, in Ankara, Turkey.<ref>[http://www.cbr.ru/eng/press/pr.aspx?file=04092015_185039eng2015-09-04T18_46_05.htm On the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) Governing Council and Standing Committee inaugural meetings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002172250/http://www.cbr.ru/eng/press/pr.aspx?file=04092015_185039eng2015-09-04T18_46_05.htm |date=2 October 2016}} 4 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2016</ref> It entered into force upon ratification by all BRICS states, announced at the [[7th BRICS summit]] in July 2015.

===BRICS payment system===
{{Main|BRICS PAY}}

At the [[7th BRICS summit|2015 BRICS summit]] in Russia, ministers from the BRICS states initiated consultations for a payment system that would be an alternative to the [[SWIFT]] system. The stated goal was to initially move to settlements in national currencies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 May 2019 |title=DMPQ- BRICS payment system |url=https://haryana.pscnotes.com/international/dmpq-brics-payment-system/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121080257/https://haryana.pscnotes.com/international/dmpq-brics-payment-system/ |archive-date=21 January 2023 |access-date=16 March 2022}}</ref> The [[Central Bank of Russia]] highlighted the main benefits as [[backup]] and redundancy in case there were disruptions to the SWIFT system.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 June 2015 |title=Russia offers to discuss BRICS prototype of SWIFT global system |url=https://www.rbth.com/economics/2015/06/01/russia_offers_to_discuss_brics_prototype_of_swift_global_system_43421 |access-date=26 March 2016 |work=Russia & India Report |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302050300/https://www.rbth.com/economics/2015/06/01/russia_offers_to_discuss_brics_prototype_of_swift_global_system_43421 |url-status=live }}</ref>

China also launched its alternative to SWIFT: the [[Cross-Border Interbank Payment System]], which enables [[financial institution]]s worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions.<ref name="Reuters1">{{Cite news |date=9 March 2015 |title=Exclusive: China's international payments system ready, could launch by end-2015 – sources |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-yuan-payments-exclusive-idUSKBN0M50BV20150309?irpc=932 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924214126/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/us-china-yuan-payments-exclusive-idUSKBN0M50BV20150309?irpc=932 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=10 March 2015 |work=Reuters}}</ref> India also has its alternative [[Structured Financial Messaging System|Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS)]], as do Russia [[SPFS]] and Brazil [[Pix (payment system)|Pix]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

=== Potential common currency and BRICS Bridge ===
BRICS countries committed to study the feasibility of a new [[Currency union|common currency]] or similar, at the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 May 2023 |title=BRICS to discuss common currency plan during the summit, says South African Foreign Minister |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/market/currency/brics-to-discuss-common-currency-plan-south-african-foreign-minister-china-india-russia-16621991.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512224525/https://www.cnbctv18.com/market/currency/brics-to-discuss-common-currency-plan-south-african-foreign-minister-china-india-russia-16621991.htm |archive-date=12 May 2023 |access-date=12 May 2023 |website=cnbctv18.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lula confirma criação de uma moeda comum dos Brics para facilitar trocas comerciais |url=https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/economia/lula-confirma-criacao-de-uma-moeda-comum-do-brics-para-facilitar-trocas-comerciais/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826153934/https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/economia/lula-confirma-criacao-de-uma-moeda-comum-do-brics-para-facilitar-trocas-comerciais/ |archive-date=26 August 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |website=CNN Brasil|date=24 August 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BRICS summit: Leaders eye expansion, common currency – DW – 08/23/2023 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/brics-summit-leaders-eye-expansion-common-currency/live-66606155 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826153934/https://www.dw.com/en/brics-summit-leaders-eye-expansion-common-currency/live-66606155 |archive-date=26 August 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |language=en}}</ref> Fair and easier [[international trade]], as well as a major reduction in [[Transaction cost|costs of transactions]], would be some of the reasons for the countries to forge a currency union.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2023 |title=Common Currency on Agenda for South African BRICS Summit |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/common-currency-on-agenda-for-south-african-brics-summit/7090756.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512224523/https://www.voanews.com/a/common-currency-on-agenda-for-south-african-brics-summit/7090756.html |archive-date=12 May 2023 |access-date=12 May 2023 |website=VOA |language=en}}</ref>

[[MBridge#Development|BRICS Bridge]] — a successor to [[MBridge]], and probably a merger with [[BRICS PAY]] — makes it possible for central banks to support cross-border transactions and payments with their own [[central bank digital currency]] (CBDC) based on an automatic [[Cross-Border Interbank Payment System]] for settlement and clearance. It is designed to be independent of any single nation or central bank, and every central bank can opt out and has control of its CBDC exchange rate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryanski |first=Gleb |date=10 October 2024 |title=Russia calls on BRICS partners to create alternative to IMF |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-calls-brics-partners-create-alternative-imf-2024-10-10/ |website=Reuters.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Putin's plan to dethrone the dollar |url=https://www.economist.com/international/2024/10/20/putins-plan-to-dethrone-the-dollar |access-date=26 November 2024 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=27 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127074740/https://www.economist.com/international/2024/10/20/putins-plan-to-dethrone-the-dollar |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Explainer: Putin's Swift rival a bridge too far for Brics |url=https://www.thebanker.com/Explainer-Putin-s-Swift-rival-a-bridge-too-far-for-Brics-1729858688 |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=thebanker.com |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204001740/https://www.thebanker.com/Explainer-Putin-s-Swift-rival-a-bridge-too-far-for-Brics-1729858688 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebel |first=Francesca |date=24 October 2024 |title=Putin presents himself as champion of the developing world at summit |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/24/brics-kazan-summit-putin-russia/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=A surprise new twist in Putin's currency wars |url=https://www.economist.com/international/2024/10/31/a-surprise-new-twist-in-putins-currency-wars |access-date=26 November 2024 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref>

A conceptual proposal for a common currency has been informally referred to as "R5", derived from the initials of the five original member currencies: the real, ruble, rupee, renminbi, and rand.<ref name="CD">{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Thomas |date=14 December 2023 |title=China's de-dollarization message finds a receptive audience in North Africa |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/china-dedollarization-north-africa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107164940/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/china-dedollarization-north-africa/ |archive-date=7 January 2024 |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=Atlantic Council |language=en-US}}</ref> A symbolic banknote mockup was presented during the 16th summit in Kazan, Russia.<ref name="LC">{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Huma |date=24 October 2024 |title=BRICS Unveils Symbolic Banknote, Pushes for Local Currency Trade Amid Dollar Debate |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/policy/economy/brics-unveils-symbolic-banknote-pushes-for-local-currency-trade-amid-dollar-debate/3648619/ |access-date=9 February 2025 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Huma |date=25 October 2024 |title=Putin's BRICS Mock-Up Bill Sparks Debate, But No New Currency Yet |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/policy/economy/putins-brics-mock-up-bill-sparks-debate-but-no-new-currency-yet/3649199/ |access-date=9 February 2025 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}</ref>

In parallel with institutional initiatives, a proposal has been put forward for a supranational currency known as ''[[Unit (currency)|UNIT]]'', designed by the International Reserve and Investment Asset System (IRIAS).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.birchgold.com/blog/news/the-unit/ |title=The Unit: A New Currency Project Proposed for BRICS |website=Birch Gold Group |date=19 March 2024 |access-date=28 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413093259/https://www.birchgold.com/blog/news/the-unit/ |archive-date=13 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Each coin would be backed by a fixed reserve basket of 40% physical [[gold]] and 60% [[fiat currency|fiat currencies]], with its value measured in a gold-equivalent standard.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wp.unitfoundation.org/ |title=The UNIT: A Supranational, Decentralized, Asset-Backed Unit of Account |website=The UNIT Foundation |access-date=28 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417183049/https://wp.unitfoundation.org/ |archive-date=17 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The system is designed to be decentralized, allowing qualified nodes (sovereign or private) to mint tokens by depositing the required assets. While not an official BRICS initiative, it has been discussed as a potential mechanism to facilitate cross-border trade and investment, reduce reliance on single-nation reserve currencies, and enhance financial multipolarity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://investingnews.com/brics-currency/ |title=BRICS Currency: What It Is and How It Could Impact the US Dollar |last=Petticrew |first=Austin |website=Investing News Network |date=25 April 2025 |access-date=28 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250428172823/https://investingnews.com/brics-currency/ |archive-date=28 April 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Peace and security ==
[[File:Destructions in Kharkiv after Russian attack, 2024-10-30 (11).jpg|thumb|[[Kharkiv]], Ukraine after the [[Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure (2022–present)|Russian attack]] on 30 October 2024]]
During the [[16th BRICS summit|16th BRICS Summit]] in [[Kazan]], Russia, the organization issued the Kazan Declaration. Among the key points included in the statement are emphasizing acts that align with the [[Charter of the United Nations#Provisions|Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter]] for a [[Peace negotiations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine|peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine]]. They also expressed concern on the escalation in the Middle East, which included the [[Gaza war]] and the [[2024 Lebanon war|attack on Lebanon]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 October 2024 |title=BRICS summit: Key takeaways from the Kazan declaration |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/factobox-main-points-brics-declaration-2024-10-23/ |access-date=10 July 2025 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

At the [[17th BRICS summit|17th BRICS Summit]] in Rio de Janeiro, leaders adopted a declaration condemning the [[2025 Pahalgam attack|Pahalgam attack]] "in the strongest terms". Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] described the attack as a "direct attack on the soul, identity and dignity of India".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=7 July 2025 |title=BRICS leaders condemn April 22 Pahalgam attack: On terror, zero tolerance |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/brics-leaders-condemn-jk-pahalgam-attack-on-terror-zero-tolerance-10110505/ |access-date=10 July 2025 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

During the conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, the bloc declared the strikes a "violation of international law".
During subsequent operations involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, BRICS did not issue a collective organizational statement, though several founding members—including China, Russia, and South Africa—issued independent statements.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lawal |first1=Shola |title=Is BRICS bloc divided over US-Israel attacks on Iran? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/6/is-brics-bloc-divided-over-us-israel-attacks-on-iran |work=Al Jazeera |date=6 March 2026}}</ref>

In January 2026, China, Russia and Iran began a joint [[naval exercise]] with South Africa and was joined by Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil as observers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cocks |first=Tim |date=10 January 2026 |title=China, Russia, Iran start 'BRICS Plus' naval exercises in South African waters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-russia-iran-start-brics-plus-naval-exercises-south-african-waters-2026-01-10/ |access-date=11 January 2026 |website=Reuters.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2026 |title=South Africa defends BRICS naval drills as 'essential' amid tensions |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/10/south-africa-defends-brics-naval-drills-as-essential-amid-tensions |access-date=11 January 2026 |website=AlJazeera.com}}</ref>

== Environment ==
BRICS member states collectively represent major global greenhouse gas emitters as well as developing economies seeking climate finance. Under India's 2026 presidency theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability", debates have centered on addressing disparities in global climate financing, where approximately $1.9 trillion is committed annually compared to an estimated $7.4 trillion required, particularly for climate adaptation.<ref name="DiplomatClimate">{{cite news |title=The BRICS Climate Stress Test: India’s Opportunity to Reshape Global Climate Finance Architecture |url=https://thediplomat.com/2026/05/the-brics-climate-stress-test-indias-opportunity-to-reshape-global-climate-finance-architecture/ |access-date=3 May 2026 |agency=The Diplomat |date=2 May 2026}}</ref>

Member states have expressed joint opposition to unilateral environmental trade measures, such as the European Union's [[Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism]] (CBAM), characterizing them as discriminatory barriers that could, for instance, reduce India's steel export revenues by $25 million in 2026.<ref name="DiplomatClimate" /> Analysts have noted that India's presidency could serve as a platform to coordinate carbon market policies, mobilize the [[New Development Bank]] for sustainable projects, and engage collectively with multilateral initiatives such as Brazil's Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets to influence international carbon standards.<ref name="DiplomatClimate" />

== Reception ==
World analysts have highlighted potential divisions and weaknesses in the grouping, including significant economic instabilities,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sharma |first=Ruchir |date=November–December 2012 |title=Broken BRICs: Why the Rest Stopped Rising |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/138219/ruchir-sharma/broken-brics |url-status=live |journal=[[Foreign Affairs]] |volume=91 |issue=November/December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121220021001/http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/138219/ruchir-sharma/broken-brics |archive-date=20 December 2012 |access-date=19 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pesek |first=William |date=24 June 2013 |title=China Loses Control of Its Frankenstein Economy |url=http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-24/china-loses-control-of-its-frankenstein-economy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104194221/http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-24/china-loses-control-of-its-frankenstein-economy.html |archive-date=4 November 2013 |access-date=25 June 2013 |publisher=Bloomberg L.P.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Arancibia |first=Juan Carlos |date=26 June 2013 |title=Brazil Stocks In Bear Market As Economy Struggles |url=http://news.investors.com/investing-international-leaders/062613-661520-brazil-stocks-in-bear-market.htm |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109023642/http://news.investors.com/investing-international-leaders/062613-661520-brazil-stocks-in-bear-market.htm |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=29 June 2013 |work=Investor's Business Daily |publisher=Investors.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 2013 |title=Emerging economies: The Great Deceleration |url=https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21582256-emerging-market-slowdown-not-beginning-bust-it-turning-point |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726184521/http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21582256-emerging-market-slowdown-not-beginning-bust-it-turning-point |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=27 July 2013 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> disagreements among the members over [[UN Security Council]] reform,<ref>Jim Yardley (29 March 2012). [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/world/asia/brics-leaders-fail-to-create-rival-to-world-bank.html?_r=1 "BRICS Leaders Fail to Create Rival to World Bank"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904205816/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/world/asia/brics-leaders-fail-to-create-rival-to-world-bank.html|date=4 September 2017}}. ''[[The New York Times]]''. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.</ref> and India and China's disputes<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=Dr. Andrew F. |last2=Farooq |first2=Asif B. |year=2016 |title=EXCERPT {{!}} A Test of China–India Cooperative Dynamics within the BRICS Framework |url=http://www.indrastra.com/2017/04/EXCERPT-Test-of-China-India-Cooperative-Dynamics-BRICS-003-04-2017-0005.html |url-status=live |journal=Journal of Current Chinese Affairs |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=81–86 |issn=2381-3652 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424175857/http://www.indrastra.com/2017/04/EXCERPT-Test-of-China-India-Cooperative-Dynamics-BRICS-003-04-2017-0005.html |archive-date=24 April 2017 |access-date=4 May 2017 |via=IndraStra Global}}</ref> over territorial issues.<ref name="highwall">{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Khadija |date=3 April 2012 |title=Brics summit exposes the high wall between India and China |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/ND03Dj01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402171026/http://atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/ND03Dj01.html |archive-date=2 April 2012 |access-date=10 July 2013 |work=[[Asia Times]]}}</ref> There is scope for multilateralism in space,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Archana |date=6 August 2023 |title=BRICS: Can it form multilateralism in Outer Space? |url=https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/08/06/brics-can-it-form-multilateralism-in-outer-space/ |access-date=22 March 2025 |website=Modern Diplomacy |language=en-US}}</ref> and collaboration in the space governance sector.<ref>{{Cite web |last=López |first=Laura Delgado |date=2 October 2023 |title=BRICS+ from Above: Why the Space Dimension of the Expanded Alliance Matters |url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/brics-above-why-space-dimension-expanded-alliance-matters |access-date=21 March 2025 |website=Center for Strategic and International Studies}}</ref>

[[International Labour Organization|ILO]] Director-General [[Guy Ryder]] has received the joint declarations and statements of the Labour and Employment Ministers of the BRICS with a positive attitude over the years.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=28 September 2016 |title=Guy Ryder welcomes BRICS countries' will to boost growth and decent work |url=https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/guy-ryder-welcomes-brics-countries-will-boost-growth-and-decent-work |access-date=2 May 2025 |website=International Labour Organization |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=3 August 2018 |title=ILO head praises BRICS countries' commitment to social dialogue |url=http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_636211/lang--en/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825163740/http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_636211/lang--en/index.htm |archive-date=25 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |website=International Labour Organization |publisher= |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=15 July 2022 |title=ILO Director-General welcomes BRICS commitment to green jobs, skills development, workers' protection |url=https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-director-general-welcomes-brics-commitment-green-jobs-skills |access-date=2 May 2025 |website=International Labour Organization |language=en}}</ref> These statements cover decent work,<ref name=":5" /> social dialogue,<ref name=":6" /> green jobs, skills development, and workers' protection.<ref name=":7" />

=== Belgium ===
Christian E. Rieck of the [[Global Governance Institute]] writes in October 2024 that China's relative power distribution in BRICS is "4+1".<ref name="AF">{{Cite web |last=Rieck |first=Christian E. |date=30 October 2024 |title=A Fork in the Road? The Kazan Summit of the BRICS |url=https://www.globalgovernance.eu/publications/a-fork-in-the-road-the-kazan-summit-of-the-brics |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=globalgovernance.eu |series=GGI Briefing 6/2024 |publisher=[[Global Governance Institute]] |publication-place=Brussels}}</ref> He notes how China has pushed for enlargement, while India and Brazil have wanted to maintain the group's exclusive relationship with China as well as its non-Western stance.<ref name="AF" /> According to Rieck, although BRICS supports multipolarity and non-alignment, it also does not take an explicitly anti-Western stance.<ref name="AF" /> He also argues that BRICS' efforts to construct new financial architectures should not be actively challenged, as that will only be counterproductive, and that Europe should not feel threatened by BRICS. <ref name="AF" />

[[Alicia García-Herrero]], who writes for the think tank [[Bruegel (think tank)|Bruegel]], argued that the West should note the anti-West sentiment developing amongst BRICS, and that the West needs to offer the Global South better economic deals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herrero |first=Alicia García |date=29 October 2024 |title=BRICS is becoming a more solid construction |url=https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/brics-becoming-more-solid-construction |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=Bruegel {{!}} The Brussels-based economic think tank |language=en}}</ref>

Reinhold Brender of the [[Egmont Institute]] wrote in November 2024 that the pivot toward BRICS by several countries in the Global South, especially visible during the Kazan summit, should be a "wake-up call" for the EU.<ref name="WU">{{Cite web |last=Brender |first=Reinhold |date=13 November 2024 |title=Why the BRICS Summit in Kazan should be a Wake-up Call for the EU |url=https://www.egmontinstitute.be/app/uploads/2024/11/Reinhold-Brender_Policy_Brief_364_vFinal.pdf?type=pdf |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=[[EGMONT – The Royal Institute for International Relations]] |series=Egmont Policy Brief 364}}</ref> To address this, Brender argued that the EU should think beyond BRICS in relation to the Global South.<ref name="WU" />

=== Brazil ===
In 2014, an opinion poll of 1881 respondents found that only 4% knew what BRICS stood for, while in 2019, only 3% of 1849 respondents knew what the acronym stood for.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fernandes |first1=Ivan Filipe |last2=Freitas |first2=Vinicius Ruiz Albino de |last3=Onuki |first3=Janina |date=November 2021 |title=The BRICS and Brazilian public opinion: soft balancing or economic strategy? |journal=Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |article-number=e012 |doi=10.1590/0034-7329202100212 |issn=0034-7329|doi-access=free }}</ref>[[File:14 11 2019 Diálogo dos Líderes com o Conselho Empresarial do BRICS e o Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento (49066644892).jpg|thumb|right|The five leaders of BRICS in [[Brasília]], Brazil, in November 2019]]
[[File:14 11 2019 Almoço oferecido aos Líderes do BRICS (49066061897).jpg|thumb|right|Former Brazilian president [[Jair Bolsonaro]] welcoming the BRICS leaders]]

=== Canada ===
Alissa Wang, co-chair, summit studies, BRICS Research Group, University of Toronto, in a presentation prepared in July 2023, discusses that the possibility of BRICS becoming [[Anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]] is not likely.<ref name="EB">{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Alissa |date=5 July 2023 |title=The Evolving BRICS |url=http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/biblio/wang-evolving-brics-230705.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010092056/http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/biblio/wang-evolving-brics-230705.html |archive-date=10 October 2023 |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=brics.utoronto.ca University of Toronto}}</ref> The group consists of three democracies – Brazil, India, South Africa, and two non-democratic regimes – Russia, China –, this political diversity limits the group uniting on an anti-western stance.<ref name="EB" /> Further, a BRICS expansion would strengthen the group economically, but political jointness could be negatively affected.<ref name="EB" />

=== China ===
In 2012, [[Hu Jintao]], the then [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] and [[President of China]], described the BRICS countries as defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace.<ref name="BRICS Peace Defender">{{Cite web |date=8 August 2012 |title=Brics a force for world peace, says China |url=http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=168422 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810052011/http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=168422 |archive-date=10 August 2012 |access-date=9 November 2013 |work=[[Business Day (South Africa)|Business Day]]}}</ref>

In March 2025, the government-affiliated think tank Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) published a report where they said that BRICS was not an anti-Western entity but a non-Western entity seeking a "just and reasonable post-Western order".<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sim |first=Dewey |date=14 March 2025 |title=Not anti-western but 'non-Western': Brics urged to jointly face external shocks |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302460/brics-not-anti-western-must-unite-against-external-shocks-chinese-think-tank |access-date=5 April 2025 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>

=== France ===
French President Emmanuel Macron sought to become the first Western leader at a BRICS summit in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Camut |first=Nicolas |date=20 June 2023 |title=Macron wants to crash summit with Russia, China and allies |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/france-emmanuel-macron-wants-to-attend-summit-with-russia-and-its-allies-french-fm-says/ |access-date=15 February 2025 |website=Politico |language=en-GB}}</ref> Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that it would be "unsuitable" and that France's participation would not help BRICS reach the goals of developing countries in a multipolar world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Teslova |first=Elena |date=26 July 2023 |title=Russia says France's participation in BRICS summit would be 'unsuitable' |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/russia-says-frances-participation-in-brics-summit-would-be-unsuitable/2954705 |access-date=17 February 2025 |publisher=Anadolu Agency}}</ref>

=== Germany ===
A [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation]] perspective from September 2013 notes how BRICS members, for the first time, with Russia as an exception, are really acting on an international level.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haibin |first=Niu |date=September 2013 |title=Brics in Global Governance: A Progressive and Cooperative Force? |url=https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/global/10227.pdf |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=[[Friedrich Ebert Foundation]]}}</ref> German diplomat [[Reinhard Bütikofer]], following the announcement of the expansion of BRICS in 2023, stated that developing countries may turn to BRICS "if Europe fails to prove its reliability and credibility as a fair partner".<ref name="APRI-Sarpong" />

A [[Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom]] policy paper explains that while the expansion of BRICS is a wake-up call, the EU or Germany need not make any direct formal contact with BRICS until the goals of BRICS are officially defined.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Holtzmann |first1=Dr. Hans-Dieter |url=https://shop.freiheit.org/#!/Publikation/1910 |title=Policy Paper: Decoding BRICS. The beginning of a new world order |last2=Voort |first2=Akim van der |date=April 2025 |publisher=Friedrich Naumann Foundation |isbn=978-3-911204-14-9 |editor-last=Holtzmann |editor-first=Dr. Hans-Dieter |page=13 |chapter=Will the BRICS States or Donald Trump Reshape the Liberal World Order? |editor-last2=Voort |editor-first2=Akim van der}}</ref> "Western-oriented BRICS countries ... should be more closely integrated into global governance."<ref name=":2" />

=== India ===
[[File:PM Narendra Modi meeting President of China Xi Jinping at the 16th BRICS Summit (2024) 01.jpg|thumb|Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]] at the [[16th BRICS summit]] in Kazan, October 2024]]
In 2014, the Indian [[Marxism|Marxist]] author [[Vijay Prashad]] raised the limitations of the BRICS as a political and economic "locomotive of the South" because they follow [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal policies]]. They have neither established new counter-balancing institutions nor come up with an alternative ideology. Furthermore, the BRICS project, argues Prashad, cannot challenge the primacy of the United States and [[NATO]].<ref>Prashad, Vijay 2014. ''The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South''. Verso. p10-11</ref>

Speaking at the BRICS summit in 2014, Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] said that "reform of institutions of global governance ... has been on the BRICS agenda since its inception."<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 July 2014 |title=Modi Calls for Urgent Reform of UN Security Council, IMF |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2014/Jul/15/modi-calls-for-urgent-reform-of-un-security-council-imf-636223.html |access-date=3 February 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 July 2014 |title=Prime Minister's statement in 6th BRICS Summit on the Agenda – "Political Coordination: "International Governance & Regional Crises" |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/23632/Prime+Ministers+statement+in+6th+BRICS+Summit+on+the+Agenda++quotPolitical+Coordination+quotInternational+Governance+amp+Regional+Crisesquot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906225939/https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/23632/Prime+Ministers+statement+in+6th+BRICS+Summit+on+the+Agenda++quotPolitical+Coordination+quotInternational+Governance+amp+Regional+Crisesquot |archive-date=6 September 2024 |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, [[Brahma Chellaney]] writes whether BRICS will be able to construct institutionalized structures, including "institutionalized cooperation".<ref name="HB">{{Cite news |last=Chellaney |first=Brahma |author-link=Brahma Chellaney |date=18 October 2016 |title=Has BRICS been reduced to a talking shop? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/has-brics-been-reduced-to-a-talking-shop/story-fuwLqfVDJDOPyiaJ0roLIO.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325035925/https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/has-brics-been-reduced-to-a-talking-shop/story-fuwLqfVDJDOPyiaJ0roLIO.html |archive-date=25 March 2024 |access-date=17 February 2025 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref> He writes that BRICS is "the first important non-Western global initiative of the post-Cold War world".<ref name="HB" />

The [[Sino-Indian border dispute]], for example during the [[2020 Galwan Valley clash]], has been a bilateral non-issue for BRICS.<ref name="EL">{{Cite journal |last1=Papa |first1=Mihaela |last2=Verma |first2=Raj |year=2021 |title=Scenarios for BRICS Evolution in Light of the India–China Conflict |journal=Global Policy |language=en |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=539–544 |doi=10.1111/1758-5899.13010 |issn=1758-5899|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Verma |first1=Raj |last2=Papa |first2=Mihaela |year=2021 |title=BRICS amidst India-China Rivalry |journal=Global Policy |language=en |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=509–513 |doi=10.1111/1758-5899.12977 |issn=1758-5899|doi-access=free }}</ref> In another case where a BRICS summit acted as a "forcing event", the [[2017 China–India border standoff|Doklam standoff in 2017]], India stated that it may pull out of the 2017 BRICS Xiamen Summit, causing China to pull back its troops and India to attend the summit.<ref name="EL" /> During the 2023 BRICS summit, China and India agreed to make efforts to address border issues. However, following the 2023 BRICS summit, China released a disputed map.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Pramod |date=12 October 2023 |title=BRICS Summit 2023: Major Outcomes and Relevance – Australian Institute of International Affairs |url=https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/brics-summit-2023-major-outcomes-and-relevance/ |access-date=15 February 2025 |website=[[Australian Institute of International Affairs]]}}</ref> [[Ashok Malik]] comments that amid new BRICS members and partners, India should ensure the group doesn't get a "distortionary ideological edge".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malik |first=Ashok |author-link=Ashok Malik |date=20 October 2024 |title=BRICS: India's role is to ensure the grouping doesn't get a distortionary ideological edge |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/brics-indias-role-is-to-ensure-the-grouping-doesnt-get-a-distortionary-ideological-edge/articleshow/114403224.cms?from=mdr |access-date=9 February 2025 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

In 2024, India's External Affairs Minister [[S. Jaishankar|S Jaishankar]] has stated, "because you won't let us into the G7 club," with reference to India's participation in BRICS and the current trend of global governance for emerging economies and rising powers.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Maiorano |first1=Diego |last2=Kaur |first2=Kanika |date=13 November 2024 |title=India's Role in the BRICS: Navigating the Balance in a Changing World |url=https://www.isas.nus.edu.sg/papers/indias-role-in-the-brics-navigating-the-balance-in-a-changing-world/#_ftnref8 |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 September 2024 |title=India's Jaishankar on BRICS: "Because You Won't Let Us Into the G7 Club" |url=https://www.bricsforum.in/news-20240913-indias-jaishankar-on-brics-because-you-wont-let-us-into-the-g7-club |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=BRICS International Forum |language=en |archive-date=11 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250111133810/https://www.bricsforum.in/news-20240913-indias-jaishankar-on-brics-because-you-wont-let-us-into-the-g7-club |url-status=dead }}</ref> The EAM also stated that G7 exists despite G20, so BRICS should also be allowed to exist.<ref name="CW" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 September 2024 |title=Why BRICS? Jaishankar's sharp retort: 'Because you won't let us into G7 club' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-brics-jaishankar-s-sharp-retort-because-you-won-t-let-us-into-g7-club-101726159451821.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912174711/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-brics-jaishankar-s-sharp-retort-because-you-won-t-let-us-into-g7-club-101726159451821.html |archive-date=12 September 2024 |access-date=14 January 2025 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref>

Prior to the Kazan summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that BRICS was never meant to be against anyone or be anti-western, and that it is only non-western.<ref name="AW">{{Cite news |date=18 October 2024 |title='Not anti-western but ...': Putin borrows PM Modi's words to describe Brics |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/not-anti-western-but-putin-borrows-pm-modis-words-to-describe-brics/articleshow/114356100.cms |access-date=23 February 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> At the Kazan summit the Prime Minister stated "We must be careful to ensure that this organization does not acquire the image of one that is trying to replace global institutions".<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2024 |title=Brics must avoid being an anti-West group as it grows, says PM Modi |url=https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/brics-must-avoid-being-an-anti-west-group-as-it-grows-says-pm-modi-124102400534_1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113214208/https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/brics-must-avoid-being-an-anti-west-group-as-it-grows-says-pm-modi-124102400534_1.html |archive-date=13 November 2024 |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=Business Standard |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> Indian diplomat [[Meera Shankar]] noted "the new payment systems discussed in BRICS are still in the exploratory phase and do not pose a challenge to the dominance of the US dollar in the medium term."<ref name="CS" />

The central bank of India, [[Reserve Bank of India]], Governor [[Shaktikanta Das]], stated in December 2024 that [[dedollarisation]] for India was only a part of "derisking" Indian trade and reducing dependence on any one currency since that may become "problematic".<ref name="DD">{{Cite news |last=Varier |first=Aathira |date=6 December 2024 |title=De-dollarisation not our objective, says RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das |url=https://www.business-standard.com/finance/news/de-dollarisation-is-not-our-objective-says-rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-124120601110_1.html |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=Business Standard}}</ref> While a BRICS currency had been raised by a member state, nothing specific was decided.<ref name="DD" /> He also compared the Euro and stated how nations in Euro countries are located in proximity, while that is not the case with BRICS.<ref name="DD" /> This was in response to a question about President-elect Trump's warning about tariffs.<ref name="DD" /> Former ambassador [[D. Bala Venkatesh Varma]], in an interview with the think tank India Foundation, states that India's stance in BRICS is "pro-India" and "claiming that BRICS is dominated by China is an exaggeration".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Basu |first=Joyeeta |date=2 January 2025 |title=BRICS Summit 2024: An Interview with Amb. D.B. Venkatesh Varma |url=https://indiafoundation.in/articles-and-commentaries/brics-summit-2024an-interview-with-amb-d-b-venkatesh-varma/ |access-date=27 February 2025 |website=India Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

At the [[17th BRICS summit]] held in [[Rio de Janeiro]] in July 2025, Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] outlined India's agenda for its 2026 presidency under the proposed theme "Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability". Modi advocated for a people-centric focus for the Global South and reiterated calls for comprehensive structural reforms in international bodies, including the [[United Nations Security Council]] and the [[World Trade Organization]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhattacherjee |first=Kallol |date=7 July 2025 |title=India will give a 'new form' to BRICS grouping in 2026: PM Modi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-will-give-a-new-form-to-brics-grouping-in-2026-pm-modi/article69784800.ece |access-date=10 July 2025 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":8" />

=== Iran ===
Iran's admission as a member in 2023 has been touted by the country as a "strategic success".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heiran-Nia |first=Javad |date=30 August 2023 |title=What Can Iran Achieve from BRICS Membership? |url=https://www.stimson.org/2023/what-can-iran-achieve-from-brics-membership/ |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=Stimson Center |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehdi |first=Syed Zafar |date=24 August 2023 |title=Iran calls BRICS membership 'strategic victory' amid tensions with US |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/iran-calls-brics-membership-strategic-victory-amid-tensions-with-us/2975235 |access-date=21 January 2025 |publisher=Anadolu Agency}}</ref> President [[Ebrahim Raisi]] stated, "the global confidence in the effectiveness of BRICS is increasing".<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 August 2023 |title=Dr Raisi at the 15th BRICS summit: World needs foundation of a fair system/ Benefits of Iran's membership in BRICS to make history/ Iran backs de-dollarization in economic relations of members, use of national currencies |url=https://president.ir/en/146283 |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=Official Website of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran}}</ref> Foreign Minister [[Hossein Amir-Abdollahian]] stated that Iran's membership will help in strengthening the multilateralism of BRICS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ansari |first=Mona Hojat |date=25 August 2023 |title=BRICS: new era for Iran |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488308/BRICS-new-era-for-Iran |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=Tehran Times |language=en}}</ref>

=== Russia ===
[[File:Russian President Vladimir Putin with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping before the restricted-format meeting of the 2024 BRICS Summit.jpg|thumb|Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]], Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] and Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]] at the [[16th BRICS summit]] in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024]]
In 2015, President Vladimir Putin stated that despite BRICS being a young organisation, it has already been effective.<ref name="VP">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2015 |title=Message from Vladimir Putin at the start of Russia's presidency of the BRICS group |url=https://canada.mid.ru/en/press-centre/news/message_from_vladimir_putin_at_the_start_of_russia_s_presidency_of_the_brics_group/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525173813/https://canada.mid.ru/en/press-centre/news/message_from_vladimir_putin_at_the_start_of_russia_s_presidency_of_the_brics_group/ |archive-date=25 May 2021 |access-date=4 February 2025 |website=canada.mid.ru The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Canada |url-status=live }}</ref> The five countries "are playing an active part in shaping a multipolar world order and developing modern models for the world's financial and trading systems."<ref name="VP" />

In 2024, President Putin speaking at a BRICS forum said "BRICS is one of the key elements of the emerging multipolar world order, which increasingly reflects the interests and aspirations of the states of both the global South and the East ... we are engaged in an active dialogue in the BRICS plus/outreach format, and are working to establish a category of partner states".<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 July 2024 |title=Vladimir Putin describes BRICS as key element of emerging multipolar world order |url=https://tvbrics.com/en/news/vladimir-putin-describes-brics-as-key-element-of-emerging-multipolar-world-order/ |access-date=24 January 2025 |website=TV BRICS |language=en}}</ref> At the Kazan summit President Putin made clear that they are not attempting to reject the dollar, but rather getting ready with alternatives to a weaponized dollar.<ref name="LC" /> In a briefing in October 2024, the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Russian Foreign Ministry]] Spokeswoman said that the "BRICS framework is non-confrontational and constructive", and that "it is a viable alternative to a world living by someone else's, alien rules".<ref name="FM">{{Cite web |title=Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, October 2, 2024. The global significance of BRICS. |url=https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1973703/#15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127201332/https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1973703/#15 |archive-date=27 November 2024 |access-date=24 January 2025 |website=The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation }}</ref> She added that new members have made BRICS into a stronger representative of the "Global South and East – or the Global Majority".<ref name="FM" /> Applications from various countries reinforces BRICS role.<ref name="FM" /> President Putin quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in saying that BRICS is not anti-Western but non-Western.<ref name="AW" />

A poll following the Kazan summit revealed that 39% of 1,500 respondents had never heard about BRICS.<ref name="PS">{{Cite web |last=Lissovolik |first=Yaroslav |date=8 November 2024 |title=A post-summit BRICS poll |url=https://brics-plus-analytics.org/a-post-summit-brics-poll/ |access-date=11 February 2025 |website=brics-plus-analytics.org BRICS+ Analytics}}</ref> Among those who had heard of the summit, the informal visual of the BRICS currency banknote was polled as the most unforgettable happening.<ref name="PS" />
In 2025, Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council—Russia, stated that while BRICS aims to make a fairer world order, it "doesn't have an aim of expansion as an aim in itself." The aim isn't to duplicate the UN's General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaudhury |first=Dipanjan Roy |date=27 March 2025 |title=BRICS has features to make world order fair: Top Russian expert |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/brics-has-features-to-make-world-order-fair-top-russian-expert/articleshow/119570104.cms?from=mdr |access-date=27 March 2025 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

In March 2025, President Putin suggested that BRICS countries could be a part of the [[Peace negotiations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine|Ukraine peace process]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2025 |title=Russia's Putin says North Korea, BRICS should join Ukraine ceasefire talks |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/28/russias-putin-says-north-korea-brics-should-join-ukraine-ceasefire-talks |access-date=29 March 2025 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> According to [[Valdai Discussion Club]]'s Dmitry Suslov in October 2024, there are many intra-BRICS disagreements.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Suslov |first=Dmitry |date=3 October 2024 |title=BRICS After Expansion |url=https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-after-expansion/ |access-date=31 March 2025 |website=[[Valdai Discussion Club]]}}</ref> Firstly, prior cooperation and current relationship with the West are major factors in making decisions where BRICS countries are concerned.<ref name=":1" /> Secondly, the speed of decision-making varies with respect to making changes in economic governance, say when it concerns a new currency or settlement mechanism.<ref name=":1" /> Third, bilateral relations between countries such as [[China–India relations|China and India]] and [[Iran–Saudi Arabia relations|Saudi Arabia and Iran]] have not always been amicable.<ref name=":1" />

=== Ukraine ===
In an October 2024 interview with ''The Times of India'', President [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]] said that the [[16th BRICS summit|Kazan summit]] in Russia was a total failure.<ref name="RZ">{{Cite news |last=Ghosh |first=Rudroneel |date=28 October 2024 |title='There can't be neutrality between aggressor & victim. It only means you're with Russia': Zelenskyy |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-cant-be-neutrality-between-aggressor-victim-it-only-means-youre-with-russia-zelenskyy/articleshow/114668253.cms |access-date=9 February 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> President Zelensky also criticized the presence of the UN Secretary General at the summit.<ref name="RZ" /> The office of the UN secretary general clarified his participation, referring to BRICS's role "in boosting global co-operation".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lukiv |first=Jaroslav |date=25 October 2024 |title=Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky snubs UN chief after his Russia trip |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyd4xg70ejo |access-date=9 February 2025 |publisher=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== United States ===
On 9 April 2013, [[Isobel Coleman]], a director at the American think tank [[Council on Foreign Relations]], and later U.S. representative to the UN, claimed that the BRICS members share a lack of consensus. They uphold drastically different political systems, from vibrant liberal democracies in Brazil and South Africa to entrenched [[oligarchy]] in Russia, and their economies are poorly integrated and differ in size by orders of magnitude. She also claimed that the significant difference in GDP influences the reserves: China accounts for over 41% of the contribution, which in turn leads to its bigger political say within the association.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coleman |first=Isobel |date=9 April 2013 |title=Ten Questions for the New BRICS Bank |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/09/ten-questions-for-the-new-brics-bank/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002050021/http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/09/ten-questions-for-the-new-brics-bank/ |archive-date=2 October 2016 |access-date=24 September 2016 |website=Foreign Policy}}</ref>

A multi-year study at [[Tufts University]] published in July 2023 found that the "common portrayal of BRICS as a China-dominated group primarily pursuing anti-U.S. agendas" was misplaced. The study asserted: "The BRICS countries connect around common development interests and a quest for a multipolar world order in which no single power dominates. Yet BRICS consolidation has turned the group into a potent negotiation force that now challenges Washington's geopolitical and economic goals".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Frank |last2=Papa |first2=Mihaela |last3=Han |first3=Zhen |date=18 August 2023 |title=As BRICS cooperation accelerates, is it time for the US to develop a BRICS policy? |url=https://theconversation.com/as-brics-cooperation-accelerates-is-it-time-for-the-us-to-develop-a-brics-policy-210021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927115736/https://theconversation.com/as-brics-cooperation-accelerates-is-it-time-for-the-us-to-develop-a-brics-policy-210021 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |access-date=15 September 2023 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref> According to the [[Atlantic Council]]'s Thomas Hill in December 2023, the [[Dedollarisation|de-dollarization]] efforts within BRICS, particularly in North Africa, present a significant challenge to US interests.<ref name="CD" /> Replacing the dollar could limit the US's ability to run deficits and maintain low interest rates, and undermine the effectiveness of US sanctions and [[SWIFT]].<ref name="CD" />

[[Michael Kugelman]] writes in the BBC that "BRICS projects meant to reduce reliance on the US dollar likely aren't viable, because many member states' economies cannot afford to wean themselves off of it."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kugelman |first=Michael |date=25 October 2024 |title=Brics: How an evolving and expanding bloc benefits India |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2verz8ggo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241105171801/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2verz8ggo |archive-date=5 November 2024 |access-date=8 November 2024 |publisher=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[White House Press Secretary]] and [[National Security Advisor (United States)|White House National Security Advisor]] have said that BRICS is not seen as becoming a geopolitical rival.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dasgupta |first=Saibal |date=24 October 2024 |title=BRICS meeting highlights geopolitical aspirations, rivalries with West |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/brics-meeting-highlights-geopolitical-aspirations-rivalries-with-west/7836994.html |access-date=17 January 2025 |publisher=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><ref name="BG" /> Treasury Secretary [[Janet Yellen]] has largely dismissed BRICS efforts at [[de-dollarization]].<ref name="BG" /> Following the announcement of the expansion of BRICS in 2023, the US National Security Advisor stated that it does not pose a "serious challenge".<ref name="APRI-Sarpong" />

In November 2024 in a post on [[Truth Social]], United States president-elect [[Donald Trump]] threatened a 100% U.S. tariff on countries that pursued a BRICS currency or moved to favor another currency instead of the U.S. dollar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iyer |first=Kaanita |date=1 December 2024 |title=Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they pursue creating new currency {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/30/politics/trump-brics-currency-tariff/index.html |access-date=1 December 2024 |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wearden |first=Graeme |date=1 December 2024 |title=Trump threat of 100% tariffs against Brics nations raises trade war fears |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/01/trump-threat-100-per-cent-tariffs-brics-nations-dollar |access-date=1 December 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> As U.S. president he announced the same on his first day in office during his second term.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=AP |date=22 January 2025 |title=Trump threatens 100% tariffs against BRICS countries if they try replacing U.S. dollar |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/trump-threatens-100-tariffs-against-brics-countries-if-they-try-replacing-us-dollar/article69126026.ece |access-date=22 January 2025 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Md Zakariya |date=21 January 2025 |title=Trump's big warning to India, Brics nations on Day 1 as US President |url=https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/trump-warning-brics-100-per-cent-tariff-de-dollarisation-125012100838_1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121104744/https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/trump-warning-brics-100-per-cent-tariff-de-dollarisation-125012100838_1.html |archive-date=21 January 2025 |access-date=23 January 2025 |website=Business Standard |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> On 31 January 2025, President Trump posted on Truth Social to "go find another sucker Nation" with respect to BRICS.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 January 2025 |editor-last=Mishra |editor-first=Samiran |title="Go Find Another Sucker Nation": Trump Warns BRICS Against Dollar Move |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-brics-dollar-seemingly-hostile-countries-donald-trump-threatens-brics-with-100-tariff-7600289 |access-date=2 February 2025 |publisher=[[NDTV]] |language=en}}</ref> In February 2025, in a press briefing, he stated that "BRICS is dead".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Nicholas |date=14 February 2025 |title=Trump threatens a 100% tariff on 'dead' BRICS group if they 'play games with the dollar' |url=https://fortune.com/asia/2025/02/14/trump-threatens-brics-tariffs-challenge-us-dollar/ |access-date=16 February 2025 |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune Asia]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="BRICS Is Dead, Will Impose 100% Tariff If Dollar Replaced", Warns Trump |work=NDTV |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/brics-is-dead-will-impose-100-tariff-if-dollar-replaced-warns-donald-trump-7705864 |access-date=16 February 2025 |publisher=[[NDTV]] |language=en |agency=Asian News International}}</ref> He went on to say that BRICS is silent following his "150%" tariff threat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 February 2025 |editor-last=Chitre |editor-first=Manjiri |title="Not Heard From Them": Trump Claims BRICS "Broke Up" After 150% Tariff Threat |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/not-heard-from-them-trump-claims-brics-broke-up-after-150-tariff-threat-7760332 |access-date=21 February 2025 |publisher=[[NDTV]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Huma |date=18 February 2025 |title=Is BRICS Dead? Here's why it's far from over |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/is-brics-dead-heres-why-its-far-from-over/3752595/ |access-date=21 February 2025 |website=[[The Financial Express (India)|The Financial Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

[[Joseph Nye]] writes in January 2025 that BRICS, "as a means of escaping diplomatic isolation, it is certainly useful to Russia";<ref name="HN">{{Cite web |last=Nye Jr |first=Joseph S. |date=7 January 2025 |title=BRICS is hardly a new fulcrum of world politics |url=https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/brics-is-hardly-a-new-fulcrum-of-world-politics/ |access-date=23 January 2025 |website=Australian Strategic Policy Institute – The Strategist |language=en-AU}}</ref> the same goes for Iran.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dzulhisham |first=Huzeir Ezekiel |date=4 December 2024 |title=Iran's Geopolitical Gamble in Turning to BRICS |url=https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/irans-geopolitical-gamble-in-turning-to-brics/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205042822/https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/irans-geopolitical-gamble-in-turning-to-brics/ |archive-date=5 December 2024 |access-date=23 January 2025 |website=RSIS Nanyang Technological University |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> Nye writes that the expansion of the BRICS could bring in more "intra-organizational rivalries", limiting the groups' effectiveness.<ref name="HN" /> Melissa Pistilli writes that at the 2024 BRICS summit, President Putin seemed to back away from "aggressive calls for de-dollarization [...] but rather to deter the "weaponization" of the US dollar".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pistilli |first=Melissa |date=6 January 2025 |title=How Would a New BRICS Currency Affect the US Dollar? (Updated 2025) |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/how-would-new-brics-currency-affect-us-dollar-updated-2025 |website=Investing News Network – NASDAQ}}</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
After the August 2023 BRICS Summit, [[Con Coughlin]]—defense and foreign affairs editor at ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''—claimed "the challenge BRICS presents to the established world order seems destined to failure" and accused the organization of being used by China as a vehicle for expanding its global influence. Coughlin also noted the contradictions within the organization, such as the [[Sino-Indian border dispute|border dispute between China and India]], and called for greater Western engagement with India as part of a new strategic alliance.<ref name="Coughlin" /> In 2024, [[Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley|Jim O'Neill]] comments the grouping merely generates rhetoric and symbolism.<ref name="PM24" />

=== Global opinions ===
According to a [[Gallup International Association|Gallup International]] poll conducted between October and December 2023, almost a third of people around the world had never heard of BRICS, but [[Western countries]] were much more negative towards the alliance than elsewhere. The most negative attitudes were found in Sweden (45%), Spain (30%), the USA (30%), Portugal (29%), and Ukraine (29%) while the most positive net attitudes were in Russia (38%), Iran (37%), Nigeria (36%), Saudi Arabia (33%), and Malaysia (32%). In India, 36% had a positive view of BRICS while 29% had a negative view.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2024 |title=BRICS expansion – less than one in five positive about it |url=https://www.gallup-international.com/survey-results-and-news/survey-result/brics-expansion-less-than-one-in-five-positive-about-it |access-date=12 May 2024 |website=[[Gallup International Association]] |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423195305/https://www.gallup-international.com/survey-results-and-news/survey-result/brics-expansion-less-than-one-in-five-positive-about-it |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Attitudes towards BRICS: Gallup International's research |url=http://ratinggroup.ua/en/research/ukraine/stavlennya-do-brics-doslidzhennya-rejtingu-z-gallup-international.html |access-date=12 May 2024 |website=[[Rating (sociological group)]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Current leaders ==

Current leading member state representatives:
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Foto oficial do Presidente da República Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (cropped) (2).jpg| '''[[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva|Lula da Silva]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[President of Brazil]]
File:Владимир Путин (08-03-2024) (cropped) (higher res).jpg| '''[[Vladimir Putin]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Russia}} [[President of Russia]]
File:The official portrait of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India.jpg| '''[[Narendra Modi]]'''<br>{{flagicon|India}} [[Prime Minister of India]]
File:Xi Jinping on August 18, 2026 (cropped).jpg| '''[[Xi Jinping]]'''<br>{{flagicon|China}} [[President of China]]{{efn|The [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] is the top position in China, which is a [[One-party state|one-party]] [[communist state]].}}
File:Cyril Ramaphosa in 2026.jpg| '''[[Cyril Ramaphosa]]'''<br>{{flagicon|South Africa}} [[President of South Africa]]
File:AbdelFattah Elsisi (cropped).jpg| '''[[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Egypt}} [[President of Egypt]]
File:Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali (cropped).jpg| '''[[Abiy Ahmed]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Ethiopia}} [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia]]
File:Prabowo Subianto 2024 official portrait.jpg| '''[[Prabowo Subianto]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[President of Indonesia]]
File:Masoud Pezeshkian 2025 (cropped).jpg| '''[[Masoud Pezeshkian]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Iran}} [[President of Iran]]{{efn|The [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] is the top position in Iran, which is a [[Theocracy|theocratic]] [[Islamic republic]].}}
File:Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - 2024 (cropped).jpg| '''[[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]'''<br>{{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[President of the United Arab Emirates]]

</gallery>

==See also==
{{Div col}}
*{{annotated link|Belt and Road Initiative}}
*{{annotated link|BRICS Games}}
*{{annotated link|Developing country}}
*{{annotated link|East–West dichotomy}}
*{{annotated link|India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor}}
*{{annotated link|Emerging power}}
*{{annotated link|List of multilateral free-trade agreements}}
*{{annotated link|MIKTA}}
*{{annotated link|G7}}
*{{annotated link|Potential superpowers}}
*{{annotated link|Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}}
*{{annotated link|ASEAN}}
*{{annotated link|Mercosul}}
*{{annotated link|BRICS PAY}}
*{{annotated link|G20}}
*{{annotated link|Hague Group}}
*[[Member states of BRICS]]
*{{annotated link|Non-Aligned Movement}}
*{{annotated link|OPEC}}
*[[List of BRICS summit attendees]]
*[[List of country groupings]]
*[[BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement]]
*{{annotated link|BRICS Universities League}}
*{{annotated link|CRINK}}
*{{annotated link|Axis of Resistance}}
*{{annotated link|Pix (payment system)}}
{{Div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
'''Secondary sources'''
*{{Cite journal |last=Rewizorski |first=Marek |year=2016 |title=BRICS in the G20? The Involvement of Rising Powers in the Premier Forum of Global Governance |url=http://www.irjournal.pl/pdf-124586-52677?filename=BRICS%20in%20the%20G20_The.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Stosunki Międzynarodowe – International Relations |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=211–222 |doi=10.7366/020909611201611 |issn=0209-0961 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250206131921/http://www.irjournal.pl/pdf-124586-52677?filename=BRICS%20in%20the%20G20_The.pdf |archive-date=6 February 2025}}
*{{Cite journal |last1=Gavrilenko |first1=Vladimir |last2=Shenshin |first2=Victor |year=2024 |title=BRICS Expansion: A Geopolitical Triumph of Partner Countries |url=https://www.bricslawjournal.com/jour/article/view/1087/292 |url-status=live |journal=BRICS Law Journal |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=9–53 |doi=10.21684/2412-2343-2024-11-3-9-53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305151858/https://www.bricslawjournal.com/jour/article/download/1087/292 |archive-date=5 March 2025|doi-access=free }}
*{{Citation |last=Alpher |first=Yossi |title=Israel and the BRICS |date=September 2014 |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/184175/a99d5052ba4147c043a40a58ba8077e1.pdf |publisher=Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Center}}
*{{Cite journal |last=Abdenur |first=Adriana Erthal |date=September 2016 |title=Rising Powers and International Security: the BRICS and the Syrian Conflict |url=https://rpquarterly.kureselcalismalar.com/quarterly/rising-powers-and-international-security-the-brics-and-the-syrian-conflict/ |journal=Rising Powers Quarterly |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=109–133}}
*{{Cite journal |last1=Chatterjee |first1=Mihika |last2=and Naka |first2=Ikuno |date=2 January 2022 |title=Twenty years of BRICS: political and economic transformations through the lens of land |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13600818.2022.2033191 |journal=Oxford Development Studies |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=2–13 |doi=10.1080/13600818.2022.2033191 |issn=1360-0818|url-access=subscription }}
*{{Cite web |last1=Patrick |first1=Stewart |last2=Hogan |first2=Erica |last3=Stuenkel |first3=Oliver |last4=Gabuev |first4=Alexander |last5=Tellis |first5=Ashley J. |last6=Zhao |first6=Tong |last7=Carvalho |first7=Gustavo de |last8=Gruzd |first8=Steven |last9=Hamzawy |first9=Amr |last10=Kebret |first10=Etsehiwot |last11=Noor |first11=Elina |last12=Sadjadpour |first12=Karim |last13=Al-Ketbi |first13=Ebtesam |last14=Mijares |first14=Victor |last15=Eguegu |first15=Ovigwe |date=31 March 2025 |title=BRICS Expansion and the Future of World Order: Perspectives from Member States, Partners, and Aspirants |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/03/brics-expansion-and-the-future-of-world-order-perspectives-from-member-states-partners-and-aspirants?lang=en |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}}
*{{Cite web |last=Banerjee |first=Stuti |date=22 August 2017 |title=BRICS Summits and Outlook on Terrorism |url=https://www.icwa.in/show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=1743&lid=1501 |website=Indian Council of World Affairs}}
*{{Cite book |last=Stuenkel |first=Oliver |year=2015 |title=The BRICS and the Future of Global Order |publisher=Lexington Books |edition= |location=Lanham, MD |isbn=978-0739193211}}
'''Primary sources'''
*[https://cdn.brics-russia2024.ru/upload/docs/BRICS24_JointStatisticalPublication_FINAL.pdf?17292326088792175 BRICS Joint Statistical Publication 2024]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20241220002759/https://cdn.brics-russia2024.ru/upload/docs/BRICS24_JointStatisticalPublication_FINAL.pdf?17292326088792175 Archive]
*[https://portalantigo.ipea.gov.br/agencia/images/stories/PDFs/livros/livros/151104_brics_long_term_strategy.pdf Towards a long-term strategy for BRICS. A proposal by the BRICS Think Tanks Council]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20241126170353/https://portalantigo.ipea.gov.br/agencia/images/stories/PDFs/livros/livros/151104_brics_long_term_strategy.pdf Archive]
*[http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/BRICS-Membership-expansion-guiding-principles-criteria-and-standards-2023.pdf BRICS Membership Expansion Guiding Principles, Standards, Criteria and Procedures]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240129035407/http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/docs/BRICS-Membership-expansion-guiding-principles-criteria-and-standards-2023.pdf Archive]
*[https://www.cbr.ru/Collection/Collection/File/54865/BRICS_Bulletin_2024.pdf BRICS Economic Bulletin 2024]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20250117041313/https://www.cbr.ru/Collection/Collection/File/54865/BRICS_Bulletin_2024.pdf Archive]
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*[https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/french/anx1_new.pdf BRICS Cooperation Outcomes] [https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/french/anx1_new.pdf 2021]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210909175005/https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/french/anx1_new.pdf Archive]
*[https://brics2021.gov.in/brics/public/uploads/docpdf/getdocu-52.pdf BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan 2021]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20211205104650/https://brics2021.gov.in/brics/public/uploads/docpdf/getdocu-52.pdf Archive]

=== Declarations ===

* {{Cite web |date=23 October 2024 |title=Kazan Declaration: ''Strengthening Multilateralism For Just Global Development And Security'' |work=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38450/Kazan_Declaration__Strengthening_Multilateralism_For_Just_Global__Development_And_Security |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207044850/https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38450/Kazan_Declaration__Strengthening_Multilateralism_For_Just_Global__Development_And_Security |archive-date=7 December 2024}}
* {{Cite web |date=24 August 2023 |title=15th BRICS Summit: Johannesburg II Declaration |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/CPV/Declaration_2408.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829042258/https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/CPV/Declaration_2408.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2023 |via=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India}}
* {{Cite web |date=23 June 2022 |title=XIV BRICS Summit Beijing Declaration |work=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35435/XIV+BRICS+Summit+Beijing+Declaration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623180746/https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35435/XIV+BRICS+Summit+Beijing+Declaration |archive-date=23 June 2022}}
* {{Cite web |date=9 September 2021 |title=XIII BRICS Summit- New Delhi Declaration |work=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/34236/XIII_BRICS_Summit_New_Delhi_Declaration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909174738/https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/34236/XIII_BRICS_Summit_New_Delhi_Declaration |archive-date=9 September 2021}}
* {{Cite web |date=17 November 2020 |title=XII BRICS Summit Moscow Declaration |url=http://brics2022.mfa.gov.cn/eng/hywj/ODS/202203/t20220308_10649500.html |via=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China}}

=== BRICS academic review ===

* {{Cite journal |year=2018 |title=BRICS 2018. Tapping into Africa's Beating Drum |url=https://www.nihss.ac.za/sites/default/files/BRICS/BRICS_Academic_Review.pdf |url-status=live |journal=BRICS Academic Review |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241031065821/https://www.nihss.ac.za/sites/default/files/BRICS/BRICS_Academic_Review.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2024}}
* {{Cite journal |year=2022 |title=BRICS: Economic Recovery, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Multilateralism |url=https://sabtt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/BAR6_Combined-6.pdf |url-status=live |journal=BRICS Academic Review |issue=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126121639/https://sabtt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/BAR6_Combined-6.pdf |archive-date=26 January 2025}}
* {{Cite journal |year=2024 |title=BRICS & Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism |url=https://sabtt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BAR%20Issue%208.pdf |url-status=live |journal=BRICS Academic Review |issue=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626001334/https://sabtt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BAR%20Issue%208.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2024}}
* {{Cite journal |year=2024 |title=BRICS & Russia: Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security. |url=https://bricsthinktankscouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BAR-Issue-9.pdf |url-status=live |journal=BRICS Academic Review |issue=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126122916/https://bricsthinktankscouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BAR-Issue-9.pdf |archive-date=26 January 2025}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* [http://infobrics.org/ BRICS information portal], a Joint website of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the BRICS member States
* [https://brics.ibge.gov.br/publicacao.html BRICS Joint Statistical Publication]
* [http://www.brics.utoronto.ca/ BRICS Information Centre. University of Toronto]

=== Journals ===
* [https://www.bricslawjournal.com/jour BRICS Law Journal]
* [https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jbs Journal of BRICS Studies]
* [https://brics-econ.arphahub.com/ BRICS Journal of Economics]

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2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest

2026-07-22T17:22:54Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|Ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2026}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| name = 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest
| part_of = [[Gen Z protests]] and [[Gen Z protests in Asia]]
| image = {{Multiple image
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 2
| border = infobox
| image1 = CJP Protestors holding Bhagat Singh posters.jpg
| image2 = Abhijeet Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk.jpg
| image3 = Sonam Wangchuk taken to hospital.webp
| image4 = Protestors at Jantar Mantar.jpg
}}
| caption = '''From left to right, top to bottom''':{{Flatlist|
* Protestors holding posters of [[Bhagat Singh]]
* Abhijeet Dipke with [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* Wangchuk forcibly taken to hospital
* Protestors protesting at Jantar Mantar
}}
| date = {{Start date|2026|6|6}} – present
| location = [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi]]
| causes = {{bulleted list
| [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]]
| [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]]
| Repeated lapses in public examination administration over the past 28 years, resulting in at least 345 paper leaks nationwide by Indian National Congress and BJP
}}
| goals = {{bulleted list
| Resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| Reforms in the examination system
}}
| methods = [[Demonstration (political)|Demonstrations]], [[sit-in]]s, [[hunger strike]]s
| status = Ongoing
| side1 = [[Government of India]]{{bulleted list
| [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Ministry of Education]]
| [[Delhi Police]]
| [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]]
| [[Rapid Action Force]]
| [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
}}
| side2 = {{bulleted list
| [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Cockroach Janta Party]]

| [[File:AISF Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[All India Students' Federation]]
| [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Students Federation of India]]
| [[All India Students Association]]
}}
| lead_figures1 = * [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Narendra Modi]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Amit Shah]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| lead_figures2 = * [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Abhijeet Dipke]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Adarsh M. Saji]]
* [[Neha Bora]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Aishe Ghosh]]
| injuries = Approximately 180 (118 security personnel and around 60 protesters, according to Delhi Police)
| casualties = Multiple FIRs registered for violence, stone-pelting, vandalism and assault on public servants
}}
[[File:Dharmendra Pradhan with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, in the United States.jpg|thumb|[[Dharmendra Pradhan]] with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at [[The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]], [[Tufts University]], in the [[United States]]]]
Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations like [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=India news: Cockroach Party warns of protest infiltrators
|url=https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-cockroach-party-warns-of-protest-infiltrators/live-78015662
|work=Deutsche Welle
|publisher=Deutsche Welle
|language=en
|access-date=20 July 2026
}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after the activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref>

The initial social media movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party was created in May 2026 by digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke as a political satire. The name alludes to a statement by [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], who compared unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites".<ref name="bbc" /> Having gained widespread online popularity, the movement transitioned into offline demonstrations, which were permitted by the [[Delhi Police]].

On 28 June 2026, [[Ladakhis|Ladakhi]] environmentalist and education activist, [[Sonam Wangchuk]], joined the demonstration at [[Jantar Mantar]]. He started an indefinite [[hunger strike]] and demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref name="printlive2">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Wangchuk hunger strike Day 21: CJP continues protest at Jantar Mantar ahead of march on 20 July |url=https://theprint.in/india/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-protest-dipke-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates/2989672/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In mid-July 2026, following a leadership change in the Delhi Police, officers removed barricades at the protest site and forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref> This action, along with an ink-throwing incident involving Dipke, drew increased media attention to the agitation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh |archive-date=15 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026 |title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations including the [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students' Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June 2026.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref> On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the site and admitted him to hospital, an action criticised by organisers as forcible.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

== Background ==
=== Formation of the Cockroach Janta Party ===
[[File:Cockroach Janta Party logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the Cockroach Janta Party]]
In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India|chief justice of India]], drew criticism for remarks made during a [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] hearing in which he compared the unemployed youth to "cockroaches" and "parasites" who attack institutions through social media activism and litigation.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anand |last=Teltumbde |author-link=Anand Teltumbde |date=9 June 2026 |title=Who are the real parasites? |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/columns/surya-kant-parasite-remark-unemployment/article71041381.ece |website=[[Frontline (magazine)]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Kishor |first1=Udayan |date=16 May 2026 |title='Pained' by how media misquoted my observation: CJI Surya Kant issues clarification on 'parasite' remark |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260523133556/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |archive-date=23 May 2026 |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{quote|There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches; they don't get any employment, and they don't have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI]] activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone [...] And you people file contempt petitions.<ref name="ANtnie">{{cite news |last1=Neelakantan |first1=Anand |title=Travails of a Cockroach-infested System |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=31 May 2026 |language=en |archive-date=1 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601055718/https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The remarks drew widespread public criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP; Cockroach People's Party), a satirical political movement. Its name is a direct reference to Kant's remarks while parodying the name of the ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). The movement rapidly gained a large social media following.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260521094129/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |archive-date=21 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref> Kant later clarified that his criticism was directed at individuals who had entered the legal, media, and activist professions using fraudulent academic credentials, and that he respected the youth.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=Youth are pillars of country, remarks aimed at those with 'fake' degrees: CJI Surya Kant |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cji-surya-kant-clarifies-parasites-remarks-says-pained-over-media-reports/article70986796.ece |access-date=22 May 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=After Outrage over His 'Cockroaches' 'Parasites' Remarks, CJI Surya Kant Says Media 'Misquoted' Him |url=https://thewire.in/rights/offends-spirit-of-democracy-outrage-over-cji-surya-kants-cockroaches-parasites-remarks |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], made remarks during a Supreme Court hearing comparing certain unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites". The remarks drew criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party as a satirical movement referencing the comments while parodying the name of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. The movement gained online popularity and transitioned to offline protests.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref>

=== Scandals ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed two examination-related scandals in 2026: a [[Paper leak in India|paper leak]] affecting the [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET-UG]] medical entrance examination and irregularities in the [[Central Board of Secondary Education]]'s on-screen marking and revaluation process, which left thousands of students awaiting clarity on their final results.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Examination controversies ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed a paper leak affecting the NEET-UG examination and irregularities in the CBSE on-screen marking process.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Timeline ==
=== June ===
==== 6 June ====
* Abhijeet Dipke arrives from the [[United States]] to India, launching the CJP's first street protest.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>

==== 7–19 June ====
* The movement transitions into periodic sit-ins, digital campaigns, and awareness drives across Delhi.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest updates: Protest ends in Jantar Mantar; six detained |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cockroach-janta-party-abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates-june-6-2026/article71068317.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==== 20 June ====
* Demonstrators regroup at Jantar Mantar for extended mobilisation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke: Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716091021/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 21 June ====
* Dipke issues a public appeal for [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET]] aspirants to join the venue following re-examination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2026 |title=NEET Re-Exam Paper Analysis 2026 Highlights: 'Result sooner than expected,' says NTA DG |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260704023415/https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 22–27 June ====
* Protests gain widespread social media attention.<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=21 June 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi: Dipke, supporters continue sit-in overnight at Jantar Mantar; urge people to join protest |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=21 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260621070831/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 28 June ====
* Prominent Ladakhi environmentalist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk joins the protest, declaring an indefinite hunger strike alongside six students of the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA), demanding the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Minister of Education]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2 June 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk joins CJP protest, begins indefinite fast over alleged exam irregularities |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/28/sonam-wangchuk-joins-cjp-protest-begins-indefinite-fast-over-alleged-exam-irregularities |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 30 June ====
* CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=12 June 2026 |title=CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign, retaliates Education Minister's resignation |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/26/cjp-launches-nationwide-pradhan-go-back-campaign-retaliates-education-ministers-resignation |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

=== July ===
==== 1–17 July ====
* CJP protests gain support from opposition parties,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Chinni |date=9 July 2026 |title=NEET Protest: Opposition Backs CJP Movement |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/neet-protest-opposition-support/article71201448.ece |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> garnering widespread public support, especially for Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike live: Wangchuk rules out ending fast |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-live-sonam-wangchuk-rules-out-ending-fast-urges-people-to-join-cjp-s-parliament-march/ar-AA280L5b |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=MSN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Support grows for Sonam Wangchuk as protests erupt in multiple cities ahead of July 20 Parliament march |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/support-grows-for-sonam-wangchuk-as-protests-erupt-in-multiple-cities-ahead-of-july-20-parliament-march/4295815/ |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 18 July ====
* Sonam Wangchuk is forcibly removed from the protest site by police; [[Rahul Gandhi]], Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticises the action on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Opposition Slams Modi Govt as Delhi Police Remove Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/opposition-slams-modi-govt-for-removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=18 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police forcefully pick up Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/delhi-police-forcefully-pick-up-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title='Removal of Sonam Wangchuk wrong': Rahul Gandhi slams BJP's 'asatya and hinsa' approach in first reaction to Jantar Mantar protest |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |access-date=19 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718130416/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Abhijeet Dipke and others start an indefinite hunger strike in protest of his removal.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 20 July ====
* More than 1 lakh protesters gather at Jantar Mantar and [[Sansad Chalo March|attempt to march toward Parliament House]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pandey|first=Geeta|last2=Delhi|first2=Azadeh Moshiri from Jantar Mantar in|date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar, CJP, parliament: Thousands of 'cockroach' protesters march in Delhi|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|access-date=20 July 2026|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|archive-date=20 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720094718/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=Al Jazeera |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das meet Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] to present demands, including the release of Wangchuk, the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, and financial compensation of {{INR|1 crore}} for families of deceased NEET aspirants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|access-date=20 July 2026|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Union health minister holds talks with two members of Cockroach Party as protesters storm central Delhi |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720114957/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The protesters were met with a brutal Lathi charge and were dispersed using tear gas by the police.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaushik |first=Shrimansi |date=2026-07-21 |title=Protesters march ahead, only to be met with lathis, tear gas |url=https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/protesters-march-ahead-only-to-be-met-with-lathis-tear-gas/article71247923.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* At least 118 personnel were hurt and between 15–20 government vehicles were damaged during the day's protests, according to the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* Hospital authorities and police sources stated that around 60 protesters were also injured. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital alone recorded 65 medico-legal cases involving both protesters and police by 7 pm.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720235211/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police detains 70 CJP protesters, alleges 'violent' & 'unruly' conduct |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/delhi-police-detains-70-cjp-protesters-alleges-violent-unruly-conduct/articleshow/132520853.cms?from=mdr |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
* According to the CJP, a party member's leg was broken after the Delhi Police dragged him.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar Protest Live Updates: CJP Rebuilds Jantar Mantar Stage, Appeals for Medical Kits and Torches as Protest Resumes|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi/jantar-mantar-protest-live-updates-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-abhijeet-dipke-parliament-march-20th-july-liveblog-155135443|access-date=20 July 2026|website=TimesNow|language=en}}</ref>
* The Jantar Mantar stage was rebuilt by the CJP after being destroyed by the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite web |last=deccanchronicle|date=20 July 2026|title=Live: Shah Meets Pradhan as CJP March Escalates|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/live-police-clear-cjp-protest-site-after-crackdown-nadda-nadda-holds-talks|access-date=20 July 2026|website=www.deccanchronicle.com|language=en}}</ref>

==== 21 July ====
* Protestors reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police removed the stage and tents from Jantar Mantar following a day of protests and confrontations between protesters and police on Monday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi highlights: Dipke, protesters reclaim dismantled Jantar Mantar protest site, as CJP awaits Govt response to demands |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cjp-protest-july-20-2026-cockroach-janata-party-jantar-mantar-parliament-march-sonam-wangchuk/article71242448.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Vijeta Dahiya, the CJP spokesperson, was removed from his position after taking a fast food break, while protestors and party members were facing "brutal police violence".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Pathikrit Sen |date=21 July 2026 |title='Yes, I'll Eat the Burger': Cockroach Janta Party Sacks Vijeta Dahiya After Fast Food Fracas During NEET Protest |url=https://www.news18.com/india/yes-ill-eat-the-burger-cockroach-janta-party-sacks-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-10225459.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande |first=Anagha |date=21 July 2026 |title='I was hungry': CJP sacks spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya after he defends leaving protest march, eating burger instead |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-was-hungry-cjp-sacks-spokesperson-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-101784630939570.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
* The Delhi High court orders Sonam Wangchuck to be shifted immediatly from Safdarjung hospital to Medanta hospital in Gurugram.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2026-07-21 |title=Delhi High Court orders immediate shift of Sonam Wangchuk to Medanta Hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-high-court-allows-sonam-wangchuk-to-shift-to-private-hospital/article71248605.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Congress MPs led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence demanding answers for the brutality against students during the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) on X |url=https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2079509012538876206 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Leaders from other opposition parties join the protest outside the PM's residence, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=ANI (@ANI) on X |url=https://x.com/ANI/status/2079551774042833342 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Police subsequently detained Rahul Gandhi along with other opposition leaders outside the PM's residence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Congress (@INCIndia) on X |url=https://x.com/INCIndia/status/2079557562740183507 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* CJP announced a protest at the Delhi Police headquarters if the detained protesters were not released, while the Delhi Police stated that no protesters were detained during the march.<ref>{{cite news |author=TNIE Online |title=Jantar Mantar protest LIVE | Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav detained from protest outside PM's residence |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates#live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates-dae1d85b-a515-4321-a56c-2921e5b9e531 |work=The New Indian Express |date=21 July 2026 |language=English }}</ref>

== Timeline of key events ==
=== June 2026 ===
On 6 June, Dipke launched the first street protest at Jantar Mantar after arriving from the United States. Periodic sit-ins followed. On 20 June, demonstrators regrouped for extended mobilisation. On 28 June, Sonam Wangchuk joined and began an indefinite hunger strike with AISA students, demanding Pradhan's resignation. On 30 June, CJP launched a nationwide "Pradhan Go Back" campaign.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>
=== July 2026 ===
Support grew from opposition parties. On 18 July, police removed Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital; Dipke and others began indefinite hunger strikes in response. On 20 July, the Sansad Chalo March took place amid clashes. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police dismantled infrastructure the previous day. The Delhi High Court ordered Wangchuk shifted to a private hospital. Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi protested outside the Prime Minister's residence and were detained.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

== Protests ==
=== First protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its first street protest at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi]] on 6 June 2026, to demand the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Minister of Education (India)|union minister of education]];<ref name="AJZ" /> it was the first major demonstration at Jantar Mantar since the [[2023 Indian wrestlers' protest]].<ref name="WR" /> The [[Delhi Police]] granted permission for the protest until 5 P.M. in what they described as a one-time exception.<ref name="printlive3">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026|title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened|url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[ThePrint]]|language=en}}</ref> The police deployed around 5,000 personnel in the [[New Delhi district]] and strengthened security at several locations, including [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], ahead of the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|title=Security stepped up across Delhi ahead of Cockroach Janta Party protest call|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/security-stepped-up-across-delhi-ahead-of-cockroach-janta-party-protest-call/articleshow/131543236.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Prathamesh|last=Kharade|title=Delhi On Alert: 1,000+ Cops Deployed Ahead Of Cockroach Janata Party's Jantar Mantar Protest|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/delhi-on-alert-1000-cops-deployed-ahead-of-cockroach-janata-partys-jantar-mantar-protest|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Free Press Journal]]}}</ref> Organisers asked participants to protest peacefully and encouraged them to bring the [[Flag of India|national flag]] and a book, which they said symbolised the [[right to education]] and equal opportunity.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Sheikh|last=Saalik|title=Viral party for India's 'cockroaches' holds first major protest in Delhi after founder flies in from US|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janta-party-protest-today-delhi-abhijeet-dipke-b2990913.html|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="JZ2">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Supporters of the Cockroach People's Party hold protest in New Delhi |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/6/supporters-of-the-cockroach-peoples-party-hold-protest-in-new-delhi |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> Dipke, who arrived in New Delhi from the [[United States]] shortly before the protest, was joined at the site by Indian engineer, activist, and education reformer [[Sonam Wangchuk]].<ref name="printlive3" /> Hundreds of protesters gathered at the site,<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI" /> including students, parents, doctors, lawyers, and teachers, among others,<ref name="WR" /> with some holding placards and wearing cockroach masks.<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI">{{Cite web |first=Shabnoor |last=Irshad |date=6 June 2026 |title=Hundreds don masks as supporters of India's viral 'Cockroach People's Party' stage first protest |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/cockroach-party-protest-india-video-b2991078.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Attackers allegedly affiliated with the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), a [[Hindutva]] paramilitary organisation, attempted to disrupt the protest by harassing and assaulting some protesters; the attack was condemned by the [[All India Students' Federation]] (AISF) and the [[All India Youth Federation]] (AIYF).<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref> The CJP announced that it would launch a nationwide agitation if Pradhan did not resign within seven days.<ref name="NIE">{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026 |title=CJP issues 7-day ultimatum; threatens nationwide protests if Education Minister Pradhan does not resign |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]|archive-date=17 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260617114012/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== National campaign ===
On 11 June 2026, the CJP launched a nationwide campaign seeking reforms in the education system, beginning at [[Savitribai Phule Pune University]] in [[Pune]]. Dipke released what he called an exam manifesto containing five demands, including compensation of {{INR|10,000|link=yes}} for students affected by a paper leak, postponement of an examination, or delay in the declaration of results. He said the movement would travel to cities including [[Jaipur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Amritsar]], and [[Bengaluru]] before returning to Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 June 2026|title='System is rotten, cockroaches will correct it': CJP launches nationwide agitation in Pune; releases 'exam manifesto'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/11/system-is-rotten-cockroaches-will-correct-it-cjp-launches-nationwide-agitation-in-pune-releases-exam-manifesto|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref name="ap2">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026|title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests|url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af|access-date=11 June 2026|website=[[AP News]]|language=en}}</ref>

=== Second protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its second protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026. Hundreds of protesters, most of them students, gathered, holding placards, singing the [[Jana Gana Mana|national anthem]], and banging metal plates with spoons as a symbol of protest;<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="THT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title=Youths rally in large numbers; bang plates, spoons to demand accountability at CJP protest|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/heavy-security-in-place-as-cjp-stages-second-protest-at-jantar-mantar/article71125029.ece|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> many travelled from across the nation to take part in the protest.<ref name="DRD" /> Ahead of the protest, Dipke alleged on social media that the authorities may allow "goons" to disrupt the protest and blame the CJP, posting photos of lorries parked at Jantar Mantar which he claimed were loaded with stones.<ref name=":62">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Delhi Police lathi-charge, fire tear gas at 'Sansad Chalo' march, detain Abhijeet Dipke, Dimple Yadav and others|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720233636/https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=The South First {{!}} News, Politics, Sports, Entertainment & Live Updates|language=en-GB}}</ref> According to the [[Delhi Police]], the protest, which began at 1 P.M., had permission only until 5 P.M.; Dipke refused to end the demonstration, stating that he would not leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigned, and urged supporters to join the protest that evening.<ref name="TT" /><ref name="YSHR">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=21 June 2026 |title=India's 'Cockroach' movement camps out until education minister resigns |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/21/indias-cockroach-movement-camps-out-until-education-minister-resigns |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> The Delhi police employed several pressure tactics to persuade the protesters to leave the barricaded site, including switching off the lights and briefly cutting off access to food and drinking water.<ref name="DRD" /><ref name="YSHR" /> At the protest, Wangchuk announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from 27 June if Pradhan did not resign.<ref name="TT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title='Won't leave until Pradhan resigns': Dipke, CJP supporters after Delhi Police deny permission to continue protest|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-dipke-arrives-at-jantar-mantar-protest-protestors-chant-go-pradhan-go/|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]}}</ref>

=== Protests at Jantar Mantar ==
The first major protest on 6 June was permitted until 5 pm. Hundreds gathered, some wearing cockroach masks and holding placards. Organisers encouraged carrying the national flag and books as symbols of education rights. Allegations of disruption by individuals linked to the RSS were made by student bodies, while police maintained order.<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref>
A nationwide campaign began on 11 June from Pune. The second major sit-in on 20 June saw hundreds gather; police used pressure tactics after the permitted time expired, including switching off lights. Wangchuk announced his hunger strike plans at the site.<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
Videos and reports from early protests documented participants raising "Azadi" slogans such as "BJP se Azadi", "Modi se Azadi" and "Hum leke rahenge Azadi". There were also allegations of improper handling of the national flag and individual remarks dismissive of Hindu religious figures and epics, which drew criticism that the protests were incorporating rhetoric beyond educational demands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title=From ‘Azadi’ slogans to disrespect of national flag: Inside the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.vsktelangana.org/Encyc/2026/6/8/from-azadi-slogans-disrespect-national-flag-inside-cockroach-janta-party-protest-jantar-mantar.html |website=VSK Telangana}}</ref>

=== Hunger strikes ===
==== Hunger strike of Sonam Wangchuk and AISA leaders ====
[[File:CPI(M)_leaders_M._A._Baby_and_Brinda_Karat_meeting_Sonam_Wangchuk.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] leaders [[M. A. Baby]] and [[Brinda Karat]] extending solidarity to [[Sonam Wangchuk]] and other protesters]]
[[Sonam Wangchuk]], an engineer and education reformer, became a prominent figure in the protests. On 28 June, he began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar along with six students from the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA) including their National President Neha Bora and an independent student activist named Hamad<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:CPI_leaders_meet_with_Jantar_Mantar_protesters.jpg|right|thumb|[[Communist Party of India]] leaders [[D. Raja]] and Prof. Dinesh C. Varshney extending solidarity to protesters in Jantar Mantar, Delhi]]
By 17 July, the nineteenth day of the strike, Wangchuk had lost 9.1 kilograms of body weight. A doctor attending him said he had begun losing muscle mass, and video footage showed him unable to stand or walk unaided. Politicians and entertainers, including the signatories of a statement with more than 1,800 signatures, appealed to him to end the fast. A petition filed in the [[Delhi High Court]] asked the government to admit him to a hospital to prevent his death; the government told the court that it would intervene if his health deteriorated.<ref name="bbc32" />
[[File:Dipankar_Bhattacharya_with_Jantar_Mantar_Protesters.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]] General Secretary [[Dipankar Bhattacharya]] extending solidarity with indefinite hunger strikers including Neha Bora]]
On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and admitted him to [[Safdarjung Hospital]], attached to [[Vardhman Mahavir Medical College]]. Police stated that the action was taken on medical advice and in compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court. Protest organisers criticised the police action, alleging that Wangchuk had been taken from the site forcibly and without prior notice.<ref name="et22">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike after Wangchuk taken to hospital|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]|issn=0013-0389|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718070154/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=France-Presse|first=Agence|date=18 July 2026|title=Indian activist linked to Cockroach party moved to hospital after 20-day hunger strike|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/indian-activist-linked-to-cockroach-party-moved-to-hospital-after-20-day-hunger-strike|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Guardian]]|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Dipke said the authorities had made "a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk" and warned that suppressing the protest would spark demonstrations across Delhi.<ref name="cockroach-x2">{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026|title=Abhijeet Dipke's message to the Police: "You made a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk..."|url=https://x.com/Cockroachisback/status/2078778925585449150|website=X|access-date=19 July 2026}}</ref> On 20 July, Wangchuk announced in a handwritten statement issued from the Safdarjung Hospital, that he would continue the fast until the "youth leaders are allowed to meet the parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital".<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=20 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to continue fast, cites police action against protesters |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sonam-wangchuk-to-continue-fast-cites-police-action-against-protesters/article71245847.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
[[File:Sonam_Wangchuk_meeting_Arvind_Kejriwal.jpg|right|thumb|[[Aam Aadmi Party]] leader [[Arvind Kejriwal]] meeting with [[Sonam Wangchuk]] during his hunger strike]]

==== Hunger strike of Abhijeet Dipke, SFI leader Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists ====
On 18 July, Dipke announced that he had begun an indefinite hunger strike. The announcement came after the office of the New Delhi [[Deputy Commissioner of Police|deputy commissioner of police]] said Wangchuk had been shifted to hospital for essential medical care on the orders of the Delhi High Court and on expert medical advice. Dipke alleged that he had been beaten and detained by Delhi Police during what he described as a crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar while Wangchuk was being taken to hospital. He said that the march planned for 20 July would proceed as scheduled.<ref name=":32">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[The New Indian Express]]|language=en|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|url-status=live}}</ref>

On the same day, [[Students Federation of India]] General Secretary [[Srijan Bhattacharyya]] announced that SFI President Adarsh M. Saji and SFI Joint Secretary [[Aishe Ghosh]] will join the indefinite hunger strike. Three AISA activists, Neha Bora, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar and independent student Hamad continued their strike on their 21st day and so on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaroananda.com/story/latest-news/breaking-news/sfi-aishe-ghosh-jantar-mantar-protest-dharmendra-pradhan/11010650|title=অনশনে এসএফআই-ও|website=Aaro Ananda}}</ref>

Four activists of [[All India Students Federation]], namely, Gulab Dan, Pratibha, Aniketh Madke and Bittu, also joined the hunger strike.

Wangchuk's hunger strike, joined by AISA leaders including Neha Bora, continued for 20 days. By mid-July he had lost significant weight. On 18 July, police shifted him to hospital on medical advice and court directions. Dipke, SFI leaders Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists subsequently began or continued hunger strikes. Wangchuk later stated from hospital that he would continue fasting until youth leaders could meet parliamentarians.<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

=== Sansad Chalo March ===
{{Main|Sansad Chalo March}}
On 20 July, the first day of the monsoon session of the [[Parliament of India]], CJP launched its 'Chalo Sansad' march. CJP asked the protesters to bring the national flag and a copy of the Constitution or photographs of [[B. R. Ambedkar]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] or [[Bhagat Singh]]. It also urged them to avoid political or organisational flags and to protest peacefully.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2026|title='Carry Tiranga, avoid political flags': CJP releases do's an don'ts for 'Chalo Sansad' march|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/carry-tiranga-avoid-political-flags-cjp-releases-dos-and-donts-for-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132495045.cms|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The march became more important after the treatment of Wangchuk, who went on a 20-day hunger strike to support the CJP at Jantar Mantar. On Saturday, he was taken to the hospital by force. This upset CJP supporters and brought more attention to the protest movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedj9j911p8o|title=Jantar Mantar: What is the Gen Z CJP protest in Delhi about?|date=21 July 2026|website=www.bbc.com}}</ref>

Delhi Police tightened security across New Delhi district before the march and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the [[Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita]] (BNSS). A day before the march, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma shared a public advisory on [[X (social network)|X]] which stated that Delhi Police had not granted permission for the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 June 2026|title=Delhi Police clarifies no permission sought or given for parliament march to CJP|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-clarifies-no-permission-sought-or-given-for-parliament-march-to-cjp/articleshow/132497794.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Delhi Metro Rail Corporation]] (DMRC) closed five metro stations – [[Seva Teerth metro station|Seva Teerth]], [[Central Secretariat metro station|Central Secretariat]], [[Patel Chowk metro station|Patel Chowk]], [[Janpath metro station|Janpath]] and one of India's biggest interchange stations, [[Rajiv Chowk metro station|Rajiv Chowk]] over security concerns ahead of CJP's march to the Parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Chaos at Delhi metro stations as five stations shut over security concerns: commuters scramble for alternate routes|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/massive-chaos-at-delhi-metro-five-stations-shut-amid-security-concerns-commuters-left-stranded/articleshow/132507039.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> Protests broke out within metro stations as the government sealed the exit points to stations which were near the protest site.<ref name=":52">{{Cite news |last=Staff|first=Al Jazeera|title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=Al Jazeera|language=en}}</ref> Internet was also shutdown in the vicinity of the Parliament.<ref name=":72">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref><ref name=":82">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=20 July 2026 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html|first1=Hemani|last1=Bhandari|first2=Priyanshu|last2=Priya|access-date=20 July 2026}}</ref><ref name=":92">{{Cite news |title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|work=Deccan Herald|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html}}</ref>

Security forces used tear gas and [[lathi charge]] against the protesters who were marching towards the Parliament by breaking police barricades.<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":82" /><ref name=":92" /><ref name=":102" /> Near Constitution Club, tear gas affected commuters at Central Secretariat metro station and a ''Wire'' reporter covering the protest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=As Images of Lathicharge, Tear Gas at Protesters Surface; Delhi Police Says No 'Sporadic Use of Violence' |url=https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720234735/https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|website=The Wire|language=en-US}}</ref>

Students and eyewitnesses said that authorities used excessive force, including beating demonstrators,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM'|work=India Today|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian Parliament|work=Al Jazeera|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of police beating protesters|website=X|url=https://x.com/ViralDecoder/status/2079227176055152886}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video footage|website=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kCEsVQq2E}}</ref> dragging students along the streets,<ref>{{Cite news |title='Students raising valid issues were dragged, beaten': Rahul Gandhi's first reaction on CJP march|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/students-raising-valid-issues-were-dragged-beaten-rahul-gandhis-first-reaction-on-cjp-march-101784552315384.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of protesters being dragged|website=X|url=https://x.com/diplomattimes/status/2079258288798232635}}</ref> detaining students and children in police buses,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Clashes, tear gas thwart students' march to Parliament; several injured, detained|work=ThePrint|date=20 July 2026|url=https://theprint.in/india/clashes-tear-gas-thwart-students-march-to-parliament-several-injured-detained/2991284/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detainees being taken in police buses|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079092607502954810}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detentions|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079143362511466590}}</ref> and using electrified barricades that protesters said delivered electric shocks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video showing electrified barricades|website=X|url=https://x.com/Kumarjyoti49291/status/2079199366217453738}}</ref> The CJP claimed, based on social media visuals, that security forces took firing positions with machine guns aimed at the Parliament gates.<ref name=":62" /> ''The South First'' reported that visuals showed protesters bleeding from injuries to their head and upper body.<ref name=":62" /> [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] became a refuge for several such students and protesters fleeing batons and teargas.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sons injured during CJP's Parliament march, a mother breaks down: 'Attack on country's children'|work=The Indian Express|date=21 July 2026|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-cjp-protest-students-injured-police-lathicharge-sonam-wangchuk-10795724}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Gurdwara Bangla Sahib shelters injured protesters, stranded commuters in Delhi|work=The Tribune|date=21 July 2026|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/gurdwara-bangla-sahib-shelters-injured-stranded}}</ref>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?". <ref>{{Cite news |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues|work=The New Indian Express|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

Delhi Police rejected the allegations, stating that it had engaged in maintaining public order in a professional manner and denied reports of any violence or detentions during the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Delhi Police denies 'violence' claims amid CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march|work=The Times of India|date=20 July 2026|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-denies-violence-claims-amid-cjps-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132508268.cms}}</ref>

=== Police intimidation ===
The handling of the protests by Delhi Police became a subject of dispute. Police stated that permission for the demonstration on 20 June 2026 had been granted only until 5 P.M., but organisers continued the sit-in beyond the permitted time, saying they would remain until their demands were addressed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma|first=Saurabh|date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to give up hunger strike over exam leaks|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indian-activist-urged-give-up-hunger-strike-over-exam-leaks-2026-07-14/|website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 20 July, Delhi Police used lathis to disperse hundreds of protesters marching from Mandi House Metro Station to Jantar Mantar, intending to reach the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest site, as reported by an eyewitness to PTI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJP 'Chalo Sansad' {{!}} Lathi-charge reported as 'cockroaches' march towards Jantar Mantar; Delhi Police say 'no such incident' |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/cjp-chalo-sansad-lathi-charge-reported-as-cockroaches-march-towards-jantar-mantar-delhi-police-say-no-such-incident-4079985 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

The police response also attracted legal scrutiny. In July 2026, a [[public interest litigation]] was filed before the Delhi High Court alleging that Delhi Police had subjected protesters to continuous photography, videography, and surveillance, creating what the petition called an "atmosphere of intimidation" and infringing their rights to privacy and peaceful assembly. The matter was admitted for hearing.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026|title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Violence and resistance ==
{{Expand section|date=July 2026}}
Around 11:25 am, protesters tried pushing through barricades in the high-security zone, leading to a scuffle in which both protesters and police sustained minor injuries. As numbers grew, police fired tear gas and used [[Lathi charge|lathi charges]] to disperse the crowd, with some protesters seen bleeding from head and upper-body injuries. When protesters tried breaking through the final barricades on [[Sansad Marg]], police used their sticks "irrespective of gender", while some demonstrators tried and failed to escape through an [[LIC Housing Finance|LIC]] building gate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chanda |first=Riju |date=2026-07-20 |title=Miscommunication causes chaos, but lathi charge, rain fail to break spirits of young protesters as traffic comes to grinding halt |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2026/07/20/sansad-chalo-march-cjp-jantar-mantar.html |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[The Week]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=N. L. |date=2026-07-20 |title=Under shadow of lathis and barricades: The day the Modi govt finally engaged the CJP |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/07/20/under-shadow-of-lathis-and-barricades-the-day-the-modi-govt-finally-engaged-the-cjp |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[Newslaundry]] |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Police Vehicles Destroyed By Protester.jpg|thumb|Police vehicles destroyed by protesters]]
[[File:Protester With Sword.jpg|thumb|Protester With Sword]]
[[File:Police Fire Tear Gas.jpg|thumb|Police Fire Tear Gas]]

Around 11:25 am, protesters attempted to push through barricades in the high-security zone near Parliament Street, Patel Chowk and Rail Bhawan. According to Delhi Police, protesters displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour, breached barricades, pelted stones and other objects at security personnel, vandalised police and government vehicles, and damaged public property. Police responded with lathi charges and tear gas. Videos and reports documented stone-pelting by demonstrators.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP protest turns violent, over 50 security personnel injured in stone-pelting |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack/video/cjp-protest-turns-violent-over-50-security-personnel-injured-in-stone-pelting-2952416-2026-07-20 |website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Stone-Pelting & Scuffles: Cops Bleed As CJP Protest Turns Violent |url=https://www.republicworld.com/india/chaos-near-parliament-cjp-protest-turns-violent-leaves-cops-injured-2026-07-20-132909 |work=Republic}}</ref>
Delhi Police reported approximately 180 people injured, including 118 security and police personnel and around 60 protesters. Hospital records at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital noted dozens of medico-legal cases. CJP claimed higher protester injuries and alleged excessive force, including against women and minors. [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] provided refuge to injured individuals.<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=India youth group says protest continue after Delhi clashes injure 180 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-youth-group-says-protest-continue-after-delhi-clashes-injure-180-2026-07-21/ |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>
Delhi Police registered at least 10 FIRs across New Delhi district stations under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to obstruction of public servants, assault or criminal force against public servants, disobedience of orders, the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Allegations included stone-pelting, vandalism, flying a drone without permission, and conspiracy to incite violence. Over 250 videos were examined.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026 |title=Delhi Police registers 10 FIRs related to Cockroach Janta Party protests |url=https://thenewsmill.com/2026/07/delhi-police-registers-10-firs-related-to-cockroach-janta-party-protests/ |website=The News Mill}}</ref>
CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] and raised demands including Wangchuk's release, Pradhan's resignation, and compensation for families of deceased NEET aspirants. CJP later claimed the government had agreed in principle to talks; this was not officially confirmed. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed and rebuilt the Jantar Mantar stage after it had been dismantled.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref>
Some publications alleged that the mobilisation followed patterns seen in earlier protests involving figures linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, and claimed presence of individuals associated with previous anti-CAA or other agitations, as well as foreign-funded NGOs or activists. These claims included references to funding networks involving Ford Foundation and George Soros, and the spotting of certain civil society figures at the site. Mainstream reporting focused primarily on the clashes and competing claims of responsibility for violence rather than confirming organised foreign or separatist infiltration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Explained: Cockroach Janta Party is setting the stage for violence with their 'Parliament march' |url=https://www.opindia.com/2026/07/cockroach-janta-party-parliament-march-setup-for-violence-sonam-wangchuk-abhijeet-dipke-delhi-riot-playbook-explained/ |website=OpIndia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Anti-India nexus of CJP... |url=https://organiser.org/2026/07/20/370758/bharat/anti-india-nexus-of-cjp-anjali-bharadwaj-shabana-azmi-funded-by-ford-soros-deep-state-spotted-at-delhi-protest/amp/ |website=Organiser}}</ref>

== Reactions ==
Opposition leaders expressed support for the protesters and for Wangchuk's hunger strike. [[Samajwadi Party]] president [[Akhilesh Yadav]] appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, describing his life as "invaluable", while backing the demand for greater accountability in the education system.<ref name="aljazeera2">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[Al Jazeera]]|agency=[[Reuters]]|language=en|archive-date=16 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Rahul Gandhi]] characterised Modi as India's most 'anti-youth Prime Minister'. "Tear-gassing students, lathi-charging students is not democratic...They have legitimate demands. The Prime Minister should accept these demands and do something about it," stated Gandhi. The Congress party condemned the police action against protesters attempting to march to Parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. Additionally, it emphasised that concerns regarding paper leaks had been raised by the party prior to the current agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

On 28 June, [[Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)|NCP (SP)]] national spokesperson [[Anish Gawande]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and reiterated the demand for Pradhan's resignation. Gawande claimed that several opposition parties, including the [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]], the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]], and the NCP (SP), had extended support to the agitation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2026|title=CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Being forced to sit here in heat, wish govt had shown sensitivity, says Sonam Wangchuk|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]|language=en|archive-date=29 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260629014449/https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 July, former Delhi Chief Minister [[Arvind Kejriwal]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar, sought Pradhan's removal, and suggested that Wangchuk be made education minister.<ref name="toikejriwal2">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2026|title='Make Sonam Wangchuk education minister': Arvind Kejriwal joins Jantar Mantar protest, seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's ouster|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257|archive-date=17 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260717054423/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

During his hunger strike, Wangchuk said the movement had "no political colour" and described its demands as an appeal for accountability and reform in the education system rather than merely the resignation of the education minister.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Indian Express]]|language=en|last=Dwivedi|first=Saurabh|archive-date=15 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Union government and the Ministry of Education did not immediately issue a formal response to the demands of the protesters or to Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref name="aljazeera">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |url-status=live }}</ref>

* CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with spokespersons Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and climate activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]]'s wife Gitanjali Angmo, continued a sit-in outside [[Kerala House, New Delhi|Kerala House]] after police had removed them from Jantar Mantar.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=Centre blinks as CJP protest turns massive |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/21/centre-blinks-as-cjp-protest-turns-massive |access-date=2026-07-22 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
* [[Sonam Wangchuk]] wrote an open letter stating he would continue his fast in protest against the police action against demonstrators, on the 24th day of his hunger strike.<ref name="auto1"/>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?".<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM' |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20 |work=India Today}}</ref> On the other hand, MPs [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]] criticised the protests, questioning their objective.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=You cannot arm-twist government: Kangana Ranaut reacts to CJP protest |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/kangana-ranaut-slams-opposition-disruption-cjp-protest-lok-sabha-monsoon-session-arm-twist-government-2951981-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-20 |title=Hema Malini says ‘Protest karne se toh kuch kaam nahi hoga’, refuses to comment on Dharmendra Pradhan resignation demand amid CJP protests near Parliament |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/hema-malini-says-protest-karne-se-toh-kuch-kaam-nahi-hoga-refuses-to-comment-on-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-demand-amid-cjp-protests-near-parliament/articleshow/132519082.cms |access-date=2026-07-20 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Abhijeet Dipke's absence from the protest was also criticised. A protestor alleged that Dipke and the organisers were hiding behind, while students who had come out for the first time were left to face the police.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=How Abhijeet Dipke pulls a Houdini, each time, every time |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-key-moments-wangchuk-sansad-chalo-jp-nadda-demands-pradhan-2952032-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Shobhit |date=July 21, 2026 |title=Internal Rift In CJP? Dissenter Alleges Women Were Pushed To Protest Frontlines By Abhijeet Dipke |url=https://www.news18.com/india/internal-rift-in-cjp-dissenter-alleges-women-were-pushed-to-protest-frontlines-by-abhijeet-dipke-ws-l-10225281.html |access-date=July 21, 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref>

Opposition leaders including [[Rahul Gandhi]], [[Arvind Kejriwal]], [[Akhilesh Yadav]] and others expressed support for the protesters' demands and criticised police action. Gandhi described Modi as the most anti-youth Prime Minister and condemned the use of force. Some BJP leaders and MPs, including [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]], questioned the protests' objectives and methods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
Wangchuk maintained that the movement had no political colour and focused on accountability in the education system. The Union government did not issue an immediate formal response to the core demands.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |website=[[The Indian Express]] |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=India |portal2=Politics}}

[[Category:2026 in Indian politics]]
[[Category:2026 in New Delhi]]
[[Category:2026 protests]]
[[Category:Gen Z protests in Asia]]
[[Category:July 2026 in India]]
[[Category:June 2026 in India]]
[[Category:Protests against the premiership of Narendra Modi]]
[[Category:Protests in India]]
[[Category:Student protests in India]]
[[Category:Protest marches in India]]

Template:Infobox civil conflict

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2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest

2026-07-22T17:16:25Z

BellaCH: Infobox fixed

{{Short description|Ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2026}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| name = 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest
| part_of = [[Gen Z protests]] and [[Gen Z protests in Asia]]
| image = {{Multiple image
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 2
| border = infobox
| image1 = CJP Protestors holding Bhagat Singh posters.jpg
| image2 = Abhijeet Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk.jpg
| image3 = Sonam Wangchuk taken to hospital.webp
| image4 = Protestors at Jantar Mantar.jpg
}}
| caption = '''From left to right, top to bottom''':{{Flatlist|
* Protestors holding posters of [[Bhagat Singh]]
* Abhijeet Dipke with [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* Wangchuk forcibly taken to hospital
* Protestors protesting at Jantar Mantar
}}
| date = {{Start date|2026|6|6}} – present
|location= [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi]]
| causes = {{bulleted list
| [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]]
| [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]]
| Repeated lapses in public examination administration over the past 28 years, resulting in at least 345 paper leaks nationwide by Indian National Congress and BJP
}}
| goals = {{bulleted list
| Resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| Reforms in the examination system
}}
| methods = [[Demonstration (political)|Demonstrations]], [[sit-in]]s, [[hunger strike]]s
| status = Ongoing
| side1 = [[Government of India]]{{bulleted list
| [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Ministry of Education]]
| [[Delhi Police]]
| [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]]
| [[Rapid Action Force]]
| [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
}}
| side2 = {{bulleted list
| [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Cockroach Janta Party]]

| [[File:AISF Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[All India Students' Federation]]
| [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Students Federation of India]]
| [[All India Students Association]]
}}
| lead_figures1 = * [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Narendra Modi]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Amit Shah]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| lead_figures2 = * [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Abhijeet Dipke]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Adarsh M. Saji]]
* [[Neha Bora]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Aishe Ghosh]]

| injuries = 118
| injuries = Approximately 180 (118 security personnel and around 60 protesters, according to Delhi Police)
| casualties = Multiple FIRs registered for violence, stone-pelting, vandalism and assault on public servants
}}
[[File:Dharmendra Pradhan with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, in the United States.jpg|thumb|[[Dharmendra Pradhan]] with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at [[The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]], [[Tufts University]], in the [[United States]]]]
Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations like [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=India news: Cockroach Party warns of protest infiltrators
|url=https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-cockroach-party-warns-of-protest-infiltrators/live-78015662
|work=Deutsche Welle
|publisher=Deutsche Welle
|language=en
|access-date=20 July 2026
}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after the activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref>

The initial social media movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party was created in May 2026 by digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke as a political satire. The name alludes to a statement by [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], who compared unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites".<ref name="bbc" /> Having gained widespread online popularity, the movement transitioned into offline demonstrations, which were permitted by the [[Delhi Police]].

On 28 June 2026, [[Ladakhis|Ladakhi]] environmentalist and education activist, [[Sonam Wangchuk]], joined the demonstration at [[Jantar Mantar]]. He started an indefinite [[hunger strike]] and demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref name="printlive2">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Wangchuk hunger strike Day 21: CJP continues protest at Jantar Mantar ahead of march on 20 July |url=https://theprint.in/india/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-protest-dipke-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates/2989672/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In mid-July 2026, following a leadership change in the Delhi Police, officers removed barricades at the protest site and forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref> This action, along with an ink-throwing incident involving Dipke, drew increased media attention to the agitation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh |archive-date=15 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026 |title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations including the [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students' Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June 2026.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref> On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the site and admitted him to hospital, an action criticised by organisers as forcible.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

== Background ==
=== Formation of the Cockroach Janta Party ===
[[File:Cockroach Janta Party logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the Cockroach Janta Party]]
In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India|chief justice of India]], drew criticism for remarks made during a [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] hearing in which he compared the unemployed youth to "cockroaches" and "parasites" who attack institutions through social media activism and litigation.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anand |last=Teltumbde |author-link=Anand Teltumbde |date=9 June 2026 |title=Who are the real parasites? |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/columns/surya-kant-parasite-remark-unemployment/article71041381.ece |website=[[Frontline (magazine)]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Kishor |first1=Udayan |date=16 May 2026 |title='Pained' by how media misquoted my observation: CJI Surya Kant issues clarification on 'parasite' remark |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260523133556/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |archive-date=23 May 2026 |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{quote|There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches; they don't get any employment, and they don't have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI]] activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone [...] And you people file contempt petitions.<ref name="ANtnie">{{cite news |last1=Neelakantan |first1=Anand |title=Travails of a Cockroach-infested System |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=31 May 2026 |language=en |archive-date=1 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601055718/https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The remarks drew widespread public criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP; Cockroach People's Party), a satirical political movement. Its name is a direct reference to Kant's remarks while parodying the name of the ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). The movement rapidly gained a large social media following.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260521094129/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |archive-date=21 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref> Kant later clarified that his criticism was directed at individuals who had entered the legal, media, and activist professions using fraudulent academic credentials, and that he respected the youth.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=Youth are pillars of country, remarks aimed at those with 'fake' degrees: CJI Surya Kant |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cji-surya-kant-clarifies-parasites-remarks-says-pained-over-media-reports/article70986796.ece |access-date=22 May 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=After Outrage over His 'Cockroaches' 'Parasites' Remarks, CJI Surya Kant Says Media 'Misquoted' Him |url=https://thewire.in/rights/offends-spirit-of-democracy-outrage-over-cji-surya-kants-cockroaches-parasites-remarks |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], made remarks during a Supreme Court hearing comparing certain unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites". The remarks drew criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party as a satirical movement referencing the comments while parodying the name of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. The movement gained online popularity and transitioned to offline protests.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref>

=== Scandals ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed two examination-related scandals in 2026: a [[Paper leak in India|paper leak]] affecting the [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET-UG]] medical entrance examination and irregularities in the [[Central Board of Secondary Education]]'s on-screen marking and revaluation process, which left thousands of students awaiting clarity on their final results.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Examination controversies ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed a paper leak affecting the NEET-UG examination and irregularities in the CBSE on-screen marking process.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Timeline ==
=== June ===
==== 6 June ====
* Abhijeet Dipke arrives from the [[United States]] to India, launching the CJP's first street protest.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>

==== 7–19 June ====
* The movement transitions into periodic sit-ins, digital campaigns, and awareness drives across Delhi.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest updates: Protest ends in Jantar Mantar; six detained |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cockroach-janta-party-abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates-june-6-2026/article71068317.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==== 20 June ====
* Demonstrators regroup at Jantar Mantar for extended mobilisation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke: Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716091021/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 21 June ====
* Dipke issues a public appeal for [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET]] aspirants to join the venue following re-examination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2026 |title=NEET Re-Exam Paper Analysis 2026 Highlights: 'Result sooner than expected,' says NTA DG |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260704023415/https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 22–27 June ====
* Protests gain widespread social media attention.<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=21 June 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi: Dipke, supporters continue sit-in overnight at Jantar Mantar; urge people to join protest |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=21 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260621070831/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 28 June ====
* Prominent Ladakhi environmentalist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk joins the protest, declaring an indefinite hunger strike alongside six students of the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA), demanding the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Minister of Education]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2 June 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk joins CJP protest, begins indefinite fast over alleged exam irregularities |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/28/sonam-wangchuk-joins-cjp-protest-begins-indefinite-fast-over-alleged-exam-irregularities |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 30 June ====
* CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=12 June 2026 |title=CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign, retaliates Education Minister's resignation |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/26/cjp-launches-nationwide-pradhan-go-back-campaign-retaliates-education-ministers-resignation |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

=== July ===
==== 1–17 July ====
* CJP protests gain support from opposition parties,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Chinni |date=9 July 2026 |title=NEET Protest: Opposition Backs CJP Movement |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/neet-protest-opposition-support/article71201448.ece |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> garnering widespread public support, especially for Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike live: Wangchuk rules out ending fast |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-live-sonam-wangchuk-rules-out-ending-fast-urges-people-to-join-cjp-s-parliament-march/ar-AA280L5b |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=MSN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Support grows for Sonam Wangchuk as protests erupt in multiple cities ahead of July 20 Parliament march |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/support-grows-for-sonam-wangchuk-as-protests-erupt-in-multiple-cities-ahead-of-july-20-parliament-march/4295815/ |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 18 July ====
* Sonam Wangchuk is forcibly removed from the protest site by police; [[Rahul Gandhi]], Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticises the action on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Opposition Slams Modi Govt as Delhi Police Remove Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/opposition-slams-modi-govt-for-removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=18 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police forcefully pick up Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/delhi-police-forcefully-pick-up-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title='Removal of Sonam Wangchuk wrong': Rahul Gandhi slams BJP's 'asatya and hinsa' approach in first reaction to Jantar Mantar protest |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |access-date=19 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718130416/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Abhijeet Dipke and others start an indefinite hunger strike in protest of his removal.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 20 July ====
* More than 1 lakh protesters gather at Jantar Mantar and [[Sansad Chalo March|attempt to march toward Parliament House]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pandey|first=Geeta|last2=Delhi|first2=Azadeh Moshiri from Jantar Mantar in|date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar, CJP, parliament: Thousands of 'cockroach' protesters march in Delhi|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|access-date=20 July 2026|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|archive-date=20 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720094718/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=Al Jazeera |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das meet Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] to present demands, including the release of Wangchuk, the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, and financial compensation of {{INR|1 crore}} for families of deceased NEET aspirants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|access-date=20 July 2026|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Union health minister holds talks with two members of Cockroach Party as protesters storm central Delhi |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720114957/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The protesters were met with a brutal Lathi charge and were dispersed using tear gas by the police.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaushik |first=Shrimansi |date=2026-07-21 |title=Protesters march ahead, only to be met with lathis, tear gas |url=https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/protesters-march-ahead-only-to-be-met-with-lathis-tear-gas/article71247923.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* At least 118 personnel were hurt and between 15–20 government vehicles were damaged during the day's protests, according to the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* Hospital authorities and police sources stated that around 60 protesters were also injured. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital alone recorded 65 medico-legal cases involving both protesters and police by 7 pm.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720235211/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police detains 70 CJP protesters, alleges 'violent' & 'unruly' conduct |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/delhi-police-detains-70-cjp-protesters-alleges-violent-unruly-conduct/articleshow/132520853.cms?from=mdr |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
* According to the CJP, a party member's leg was broken after the Delhi Police dragged him.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar Protest Live Updates: CJP Rebuilds Jantar Mantar Stage, Appeals for Medical Kits and Torches as Protest Resumes|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi/jantar-mantar-protest-live-updates-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-abhijeet-dipke-parliament-march-20th-july-liveblog-155135443|access-date=20 July 2026|website=TimesNow|language=en}}</ref>
* The Jantar Mantar stage was rebuilt by the CJP after being destroyed by the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite web |last=deccanchronicle|date=20 July 2026|title=Live: Shah Meets Pradhan as CJP March Escalates|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/live-police-clear-cjp-protest-site-after-crackdown-nadda-nadda-holds-talks|access-date=20 July 2026|website=www.deccanchronicle.com|language=en}}</ref>

==== 21 July ====
* Protestors reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police removed the stage and tents from Jantar Mantar following a day of protests and confrontations between protesters and police on Monday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi highlights: Dipke, protesters reclaim dismantled Jantar Mantar protest site, as CJP awaits Govt response to demands |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cjp-protest-july-20-2026-cockroach-janata-party-jantar-mantar-parliament-march-sonam-wangchuk/article71242448.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Vijeta Dahiya, the CJP spokesperson, was removed from his position after taking a fast food break, while protestors and party members were facing "brutal police violence".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Pathikrit Sen |date=21 July 2026 |title='Yes, I'll Eat the Burger': Cockroach Janta Party Sacks Vijeta Dahiya After Fast Food Fracas During NEET Protest |url=https://www.news18.com/india/yes-ill-eat-the-burger-cockroach-janta-party-sacks-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-10225459.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande |first=Anagha |date=21 July 2026 |title='I was hungry': CJP sacks spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya after he defends leaving protest march, eating burger instead |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-was-hungry-cjp-sacks-spokesperson-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-101784630939570.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
* The Delhi High court orders Sonam Wangchuck to be shifted immediatly from Safdarjung hospital to Medanta hospital in Gurugram.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2026-07-21 |title=Delhi High Court orders immediate shift of Sonam Wangchuk to Medanta Hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-high-court-allows-sonam-wangchuk-to-shift-to-private-hospital/article71248605.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Congress MPs led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence demanding answers for the brutality against students during the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) on X |url=https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2079509012538876206 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Leaders from other opposition parties join the protest outside the PM's residence, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=ANI (@ANI) on X |url=https://x.com/ANI/status/2079551774042833342 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Police subsequently detained Rahul Gandhi along with other opposition leaders outside the PM's residence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Congress (@INCIndia) on X |url=https://x.com/INCIndia/status/2079557562740183507 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* CJP announced a protest at the Delhi Police headquarters if the detained protesters were not released, while the Delhi Police stated that no protesters were detained during the march.<ref>{{cite news |author=TNIE Online |title=Jantar Mantar protest LIVE | Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav detained from protest outside PM's residence |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates#live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates-dae1d85b-a515-4321-a56c-2921e5b9e531 |work=The New Indian Express |date=21 July 2026 |language=English }}</ref>

== Timeline of key events ==
=== June 2026 ===
On 6 June, Dipke launched the first street protest at Jantar Mantar after arriving from the United States. Periodic sit-ins followed. On 20 June, demonstrators regrouped for extended mobilisation. On 28 June, Sonam Wangchuk joined and began an indefinite hunger strike with AISA students, demanding Pradhan's resignation. On 30 June, CJP launched a nationwide "Pradhan Go Back" campaign.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>
=== July 2026 ===
Support grew from opposition parties. On 18 July, police removed Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital; Dipke and others began indefinite hunger strikes in response. On 20 July, the Sansad Chalo March took place amid clashes. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police dismantled infrastructure the previous day. The Delhi High Court ordered Wangchuk shifted to a private hospital. Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi protested outside the Prime Minister's residence and were detained.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

== Protests ==
=== First protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its first street protest at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi]] on 6 June 2026, to demand the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Minister of Education (India)|union minister of education]];<ref name="AJZ" /> it was the first major demonstration at Jantar Mantar since the [[2023 Indian wrestlers' protest]].<ref name="WR" /> The [[Delhi Police]] granted permission for the protest until 5 P.M. in what they described as a one-time exception.<ref name="printlive3">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026|title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened|url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[ThePrint]]|language=en}}</ref> The police deployed around 5,000 personnel in the [[New Delhi district]] and strengthened security at several locations, including [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], ahead of the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|title=Security stepped up across Delhi ahead of Cockroach Janta Party protest call|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/security-stepped-up-across-delhi-ahead-of-cockroach-janta-party-protest-call/articleshow/131543236.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Prathamesh|last=Kharade|title=Delhi On Alert: 1,000+ Cops Deployed Ahead Of Cockroach Janata Party's Jantar Mantar Protest|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/delhi-on-alert-1000-cops-deployed-ahead-of-cockroach-janata-partys-jantar-mantar-protest|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Free Press Journal]]}}</ref> Organisers asked participants to protest peacefully and encouraged them to bring the [[Flag of India|national flag]] and a book, which they said symbolised the [[right to education]] and equal opportunity.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Sheikh|last=Saalik|title=Viral party for India's 'cockroaches' holds first major protest in Delhi after founder flies in from US|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janta-party-protest-today-delhi-abhijeet-dipke-b2990913.html|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="JZ2">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Supporters of the Cockroach People's Party hold protest in New Delhi |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/6/supporters-of-the-cockroach-peoples-party-hold-protest-in-new-delhi |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> Dipke, who arrived in New Delhi from the [[United States]] shortly before the protest, was joined at the site by Indian engineer, activist, and education reformer [[Sonam Wangchuk]].<ref name="printlive3" /> Hundreds of protesters gathered at the site,<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI" /> including students, parents, doctors, lawyers, and teachers, among others,<ref name="WR" /> with some holding placards and wearing cockroach masks.<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI">{{Cite web |first=Shabnoor |last=Irshad |date=6 June 2026 |title=Hundreds don masks as supporters of India's viral 'Cockroach People's Party' stage first protest |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/cockroach-party-protest-india-video-b2991078.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Attackers allegedly affiliated with the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), a [[Hindutva]] paramilitary organisation, attempted to disrupt the protest by harassing and assaulting some protesters; the attack was condemned by the [[All India Students' Federation]] (AISF) and the [[All India Youth Federation]] (AIYF).<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref> The CJP announced that it would launch a nationwide agitation if Pradhan did not resign within seven days.<ref name="NIE">{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026 |title=CJP issues 7-day ultimatum; threatens nationwide protests if Education Minister Pradhan does not resign |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]|archive-date=17 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260617114012/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== National campaign ===
On 11 June 2026, the CJP launched a nationwide campaign seeking reforms in the education system, beginning at [[Savitribai Phule Pune University]] in [[Pune]]. Dipke released what he called an exam manifesto containing five demands, including compensation of {{INR|10,000|link=yes}} for students affected by a paper leak, postponement of an examination, or delay in the declaration of results. He said the movement would travel to cities including [[Jaipur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Amritsar]], and [[Bengaluru]] before returning to Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 June 2026|title='System is rotten, cockroaches will correct it': CJP launches nationwide agitation in Pune; releases 'exam manifesto'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/11/system-is-rotten-cockroaches-will-correct-it-cjp-launches-nationwide-agitation-in-pune-releases-exam-manifesto|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref name="ap2">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026|title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests|url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af|access-date=11 June 2026|website=[[AP News]]|language=en}}</ref>

=== Second protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its second protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026. Hundreds of protesters, most of them students, gathered, holding placards, singing the [[Jana Gana Mana|national anthem]], and banging metal plates with spoons as a symbol of protest;<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="THT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title=Youths rally in large numbers; bang plates, spoons to demand accountability at CJP protest|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/heavy-security-in-place-as-cjp-stages-second-protest-at-jantar-mantar/article71125029.ece|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> many travelled from across the nation to take part in the protest.<ref name="DRD" /> Ahead of the protest, Dipke alleged on social media that the authorities may allow "goons" to disrupt the protest and blame the CJP, posting photos of lorries parked at Jantar Mantar which he claimed were loaded with stones.<ref name=":62">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Delhi Police lathi-charge, fire tear gas at 'Sansad Chalo' march, detain Abhijeet Dipke, Dimple Yadav and others|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720233636/https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=The South First {{!}} News, Politics, Sports, Entertainment & Live Updates|language=en-GB}}</ref> According to the [[Delhi Police]], the protest, which began at 1 P.M., had permission only until 5 P.M.; Dipke refused to end the demonstration, stating that he would not leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigned, and urged supporters to join the protest that evening.<ref name="TT" /><ref name="YSHR">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=21 June 2026 |title=India's 'Cockroach' movement camps out until education minister resigns |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/21/indias-cockroach-movement-camps-out-until-education-minister-resigns |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> The Delhi police employed several pressure tactics to persuade the protesters to leave the barricaded site, including switching off the lights and briefly cutting off access to food and drinking water.<ref name="DRD" /><ref name="YSHR" /> At the protest, Wangchuk announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from 27 June if Pradhan did not resign.<ref name="TT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title='Won't leave until Pradhan resigns': Dipke, CJP supporters after Delhi Police deny permission to continue protest|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-dipke-arrives-at-jantar-mantar-protest-protestors-chant-go-pradhan-go/|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]}}</ref>

=== Protests at Jantar Mantar ==
The first major protest on 6 June was permitted until 5 pm. Hundreds gathered, some wearing cockroach masks and holding placards. Organisers encouraged carrying the national flag and books as symbols of education rights. Allegations of disruption by individuals linked to the RSS were made by student bodies, while police maintained order.<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref>
A nationwide campaign began on 11 June from Pune. The second major sit-in on 20 June saw hundreds gather; police used pressure tactics after the permitted time expired, including switching off lights. Wangchuk announced his hunger strike plans at the site.<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
Videos and reports from early protests documented participants raising "Azadi" slogans such as "BJP se Azadi", "Modi se Azadi" and "Hum leke rahenge Azadi". There were also allegations of improper handling of the national flag and individual remarks dismissive of Hindu religious figures and epics, which drew criticism that the protests were incorporating rhetoric beyond educational demands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title=From ‘Azadi’ slogans to disrespect of national flag: Inside the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.vsktelangana.org/Encyc/2026/6/8/from-azadi-slogans-disrespect-national-flag-inside-cockroach-janta-party-protest-jantar-mantar.html |website=VSK Telangana}}</ref>

=== Hunger strikes ===
==== Hunger strike of Sonam Wangchuk and AISA leaders ====
[[File:CPI(M)_leaders_M._A._Baby_and_Brinda_Karat_meeting_Sonam_Wangchuk.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] leaders [[M. A. Baby]] and [[Brinda Karat]] extending solidarity to [[Sonam Wangchuk]] and other protesters]]
[[Sonam Wangchuk]], an engineer and education reformer, became a prominent figure in the protests. On 28 June, he began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar along with six students from the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA) including their National President Neha Bora and an independent student activist named Hamad<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:CPI_leaders_meet_with_Jantar_Mantar_protesters.jpg|right|thumb|[[Communist Party of India]] leaders [[D. Raja]] and Prof. Dinesh C. Varshney extending solidarity to protesters in Jantar Mantar, Delhi]]
By 17 July, the nineteenth day of the strike, Wangchuk had lost 9.1 kilograms of body weight. A doctor attending him said he had begun losing muscle mass, and video footage showed him unable to stand or walk unaided. Politicians and entertainers, including the signatories of a statement with more than 1,800 signatures, appealed to him to end the fast. A petition filed in the [[Delhi High Court]] asked the government to admit him to a hospital to prevent his death; the government told the court that it would intervene if his health deteriorated.<ref name="bbc32" />
[[File:Dipankar_Bhattacharya_with_Jantar_Mantar_Protesters.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]] General Secretary [[Dipankar Bhattacharya]] extending solidarity with indefinite hunger strikers including Neha Bora]]
On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and admitted him to [[Safdarjung Hospital]], attached to [[Vardhman Mahavir Medical College]]. Police stated that the action was taken on medical advice and in compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court. Protest organisers criticised the police action, alleging that Wangchuk had been taken from the site forcibly and without prior notice.<ref name="et22">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike after Wangchuk taken to hospital|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]|issn=0013-0389|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718070154/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=France-Presse|first=Agence|date=18 July 2026|title=Indian activist linked to Cockroach party moved to hospital after 20-day hunger strike|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/indian-activist-linked-to-cockroach-party-moved-to-hospital-after-20-day-hunger-strike|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Guardian]]|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Dipke said the authorities had made "a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk" and warned that suppressing the protest would spark demonstrations across Delhi.<ref name="cockroach-x2">{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026|title=Abhijeet Dipke's message to the Police: "You made a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk..."|url=https://x.com/Cockroachisback/status/2078778925585449150|website=X|access-date=19 July 2026}}</ref> On 20 July, Wangchuk announced in a handwritten statement issued from the Safdarjung Hospital, that he would continue the fast until the "youth leaders are allowed to meet the parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital".<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=20 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to continue fast, cites police action against protesters |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sonam-wangchuk-to-continue-fast-cites-police-action-against-protesters/article71245847.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
[[File:Sonam_Wangchuk_meeting_Arvind_Kejriwal.jpg|right|thumb|[[Aam Aadmi Party]] leader [[Arvind Kejriwal]] meeting with [[Sonam Wangchuk]] during his hunger strike]]

==== Hunger strike of Abhijeet Dipke, SFI leader Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists ====
On 18 July, Dipke announced that he had begun an indefinite hunger strike. The announcement came after the office of the New Delhi [[Deputy Commissioner of Police|deputy commissioner of police]] said Wangchuk had been shifted to hospital for essential medical care on the orders of the Delhi High Court and on expert medical advice. Dipke alleged that he had been beaten and detained by Delhi Police during what he described as a crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar while Wangchuk was being taken to hospital. He said that the march planned for 20 July would proceed as scheduled.<ref name=":32">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[The New Indian Express]]|language=en|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|url-status=live}}</ref>

On the same day, [[Students Federation of India]] General Secretary [[Srijan Bhattacharyya]] announced that SFI President Adarsh M. Saji and SFI Joint Secretary [[Aishe Ghosh]] will join the indefinite hunger strike. Three AISA activists, Neha Bora, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar and independent student Hamad continued their strike on their 21st day and so on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaroananda.com/story/latest-news/breaking-news/sfi-aishe-ghosh-jantar-mantar-protest-dharmendra-pradhan/11010650|title=অনশনে এসএফআই-ও|website=Aaro Ananda}}</ref>

Four activists of [[All India Students Federation]], namely, Gulab Dan, Pratibha, Aniketh Madke and Bittu, also joined the hunger strike.

Wangchuk's hunger strike, joined by AISA leaders including Neha Bora, continued for 20 days. By mid-July he had lost significant weight. On 18 July, police shifted him to hospital on medical advice and court directions. Dipke, SFI leaders Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists subsequently began or continued hunger strikes. Wangchuk later stated from hospital that he would continue fasting until youth leaders could meet parliamentarians.<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

=== Sansad Chalo March ===
{{Main|Sansad Chalo March}}
On 20 July, the first day of the monsoon session of the [[Parliament of India]], CJP launched its 'Chalo Sansad' march. CJP asked the protesters to bring the national flag and a copy of the Constitution or photographs of [[B. R. Ambedkar]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] or [[Bhagat Singh]]. It also urged them to avoid political or organisational flags and to protest peacefully.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2026|title='Carry Tiranga, avoid political flags': CJP releases do's an don'ts for 'Chalo Sansad' march|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/carry-tiranga-avoid-political-flags-cjp-releases-dos-and-donts-for-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132495045.cms|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The march became more important after the treatment of Wangchuk, who went on a 20-day hunger strike to support the CJP at Jantar Mantar. On Saturday, he was taken to the hospital by force. This upset CJP supporters and brought more attention to the protest movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedj9j911p8o|title=Jantar Mantar: What is the Gen Z CJP protest in Delhi about?|date=21 July 2026|website=www.bbc.com}}</ref>

Delhi Police tightened security across New Delhi district before the march and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the [[Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita]] (BNSS). A day before the march, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma shared a public advisory on [[X (social network)|X]] which stated that Delhi Police had not granted permission for the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 June 2026|title=Delhi Police clarifies no permission sought or given for parliament march to CJP|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-clarifies-no-permission-sought-or-given-for-parliament-march-to-cjp/articleshow/132497794.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Delhi Metro Rail Corporation]] (DMRC) closed five metro stations – [[Seva Teerth metro station|Seva Teerth]], [[Central Secretariat metro station|Central Secretariat]], [[Patel Chowk metro station|Patel Chowk]], [[Janpath metro station|Janpath]] and one of India's biggest interchange stations, [[Rajiv Chowk metro station|Rajiv Chowk]] over security concerns ahead of CJP's march to the Parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Chaos at Delhi metro stations as five stations shut over security concerns: commuters scramble for alternate routes|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/massive-chaos-at-delhi-metro-five-stations-shut-amid-security-concerns-commuters-left-stranded/articleshow/132507039.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> Protests broke out within metro stations as the government sealed the exit points to stations which were near the protest site.<ref name=":52">{{Cite news |last=Staff|first=Al Jazeera|title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=Al Jazeera|language=en}}</ref> Internet was also shutdown in the vicinity of the Parliament.<ref name=":72">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref><ref name=":82">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=20 July 2026 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html|first1=Hemani|last1=Bhandari|first2=Priyanshu|last2=Priya|access-date=20 July 2026}}</ref><ref name=":92">{{Cite news |title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|work=Deccan Herald|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html}}</ref>

Security forces used tear gas and [[lathi charge]] against the protesters who were marching towards the Parliament by breaking police barricades.<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":82" /><ref name=":92" /><ref name=":102" /> Near Constitution Club, tear gas affected commuters at Central Secretariat metro station and a ''Wire'' reporter covering the protest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=As Images of Lathicharge, Tear Gas at Protesters Surface; Delhi Police Says No 'Sporadic Use of Violence' |url=https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720234735/https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|website=The Wire|language=en-US}}</ref>

Students and eyewitnesses said that authorities used excessive force, including beating demonstrators,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM'|work=India Today|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian Parliament|work=Al Jazeera|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of police beating protesters|website=X|url=https://x.com/ViralDecoder/status/2079227176055152886}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video footage|website=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kCEsVQq2E}}</ref> dragging students along the streets,<ref>{{Cite news |title='Students raising valid issues were dragged, beaten': Rahul Gandhi's first reaction on CJP march|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/students-raising-valid-issues-were-dragged-beaten-rahul-gandhis-first-reaction-on-cjp-march-101784552315384.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of protesters being dragged|website=X|url=https://x.com/diplomattimes/status/2079258288798232635}}</ref> detaining students and children in police buses,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Clashes, tear gas thwart students' march to Parliament; several injured, detained|work=ThePrint|date=20 July 2026|url=https://theprint.in/india/clashes-tear-gas-thwart-students-march-to-parliament-several-injured-detained/2991284/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detainees being taken in police buses|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079092607502954810}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detentions|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079143362511466590}}</ref> and using electrified barricades that protesters said delivered electric shocks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video showing electrified barricades|website=X|url=https://x.com/Kumarjyoti49291/status/2079199366217453738}}</ref> The CJP claimed, based on social media visuals, that security forces took firing positions with machine guns aimed at the Parliament gates.<ref name=":62" /> ''The South First'' reported that visuals showed protesters bleeding from injuries to their head and upper body.<ref name=":62" /> [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] became a refuge for several such students and protesters fleeing batons and teargas.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sons injured during CJP's Parliament march, a mother breaks down: 'Attack on country's children'|work=The Indian Express|date=21 July 2026|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-cjp-protest-students-injured-police-lathicharge-sonam-wangchuk-10795724}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Gurdwara Bangla Sahib shelters injured protesters, stranded commuters in Delhi|work=The Tribune|date=21 July 2026|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/gurdwara-bangla-sahib-shelters-injured-stranded}}</ref>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?". <ref>{{Cite news |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues|work=The New Indian Express|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

Delhi Police rejected the allegations, stating that it had engaged in maintaining public order in a professional manner and denied reports of any violence or detentions during the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Delhi Police denies 'violence' claims amid CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march|work=The Times of India|date=20 July 2026|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-denies-violence-claims-amid-cjps-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132508268.cms}}</ref>

=== Police intimidation ===
The handling of the protests by Delhi Police became a subject of dispute. Police stated that permission for the demonstration on 20 June 2026 had been granted only until 5 P.M., but organisers continued the sit-in beyond the permitted time, saying they would remain until their demands were addressed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma|first=Saurabh|date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to give up hunger strike over exam leaks|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indian-activist-urged-give-up-hunger-strike-over-exam-leaks-2026-07-14/|website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 20 July, Delhi Police used lathis to disperse hundreds of protesters marching from Mandi House Metro Station to Jantar Mantar, intending to reach the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest site, as reported by an eyewitness to PTI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJP 'Chalo Sansad' {{!}} Lathi-charge reported as 'cockroaches' march towards Jantar Mantar; Delhi Police say 'no such incident' |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/cjp-chalo-sansad-lathi-charge-reported-as-cockroaches-march-towards-jantar-mantar-delhi-police-say-no-such-incident-4079985 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

The police response also attracted legal scrutiny. In July 2026, a [[public interest litigation]] was filed before the Delhi High Court alleging that Delhi Police had subjected protesters to continuous photography, videography, and surveillance, creating what the petition called an "atmosphere of intimidation" and infringing their rights to privacy and peaceful assembly. The matter was admitted for hearing.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026|title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Violence and resistance ==
{{Expand section|date=July 2026}}
Around 11:25 am, protesters tried pushing through barricades in the high-security zone, leading to a scuffle in which both protesters and police sustained minor injuries. As numbers grew, police fired tear gas and used [[Lathi charge|lathi charges]] to disperse the crowd, with some protesters seen bleeding from head and upper-body injuries. When protesters tried breaking through the final barricades on [[Sansad Marg]], police used their sticks "irrespective of gender", while some demonstrators tried and failed to escape through an [[LIC Housing Finance|LIC]] building gate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chanda |first=Riju |date=2026-07-20 |title=Miscommunication causes chaos, but lathi charge, rain fail to break spirits of young protesters as traffic comes to grinding halt |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2026/07/20/sansad-chalo-march-cjp-jantar-mantar.html |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[The Week]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=N. L. |date=2026-07-20 |title=Under shadow of lathis and barricades: The day the Modi govt finally engaged the CJP |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/07/20/under-shadow-of-lathis-and-barricades-the-day-the-modi-govt-finally-engaged-the-cjp |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[Newslaundry]] |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Police Vehicles Destroyed By Protester.jpg|thumb|Police vehicles destroyed by protesters]]
[[File:Protester With Sword.jpg|thumb|Protester With Sword]]
[[File:Police Fire Tear Gas.jpg|thumb|Police Fire Tear Gas]]

Around 11:25 am, protesters attempted to push through barricades in the high-security zone near Parliament Street, Patel Chowk and Rail Bhawan. According to Delhi Police, protesters displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour, breached barricades, pelted stones and other objects at security personnel, vandalised police and government vehicles, and damaged public property. Police responded with lathi charges and tear gas. Videos and reports documented stone-pelting by demonstrators.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP protest turns violent, over 50 security personnel injured in stone-pelting |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack/video/cjp-protest-turns-violent-over-50-security-personnel-injured-in-stone-pelting-2952416-2026-07-20 |website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Stone-Pelting & Scuffles: Cops Bleed As CJP Protest Turns Violent |url=https://www.republicworld.com/india/chaos-near-parliament-cjp-protest-turns-violent-leaves-cops-injured-2026-07-20-132909 |work=Republic}}</ref>
Delhi Police reported approximately 180 people injured, including 118 security and police personnel and around 60 protesters. Hospital records at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital noted dozens of medico-legal cases. CJP claimed higher protester injuries and alleged excessive force, including against women and minors. [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] provided refuge to injured individuals.<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=India youth group says protest continue after Delhi clashes injure 180 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-youth-group-says-protest-continue-after-delhi-clashes-injure-180-2026-07-21/ |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>
Delhi Police registered at least 10 FIRs across New Delhi district stations under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to obstruction of public servants, assault or criminal force against public servants, disobedience of orders, the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Allegations included stone-pelting, vandalism, flying a drone without permission, and conspiracy to incite violence. Over 250 videos were examined.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026 |title=Delhi Police registers 10 FIRs related to Cockroach Janta Party protests |url=https://thenewsmill.com/2026/07/delhi-police-registers-10-firs-related-to-cockroach-janta-party-protests/ |website=The News Mill}}</ref>
CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] and raised demands including Wangchuk's release, Pradhan's resignation, and compensation for families of deceased NEET aspirants. CJP later claimed the government had agreed in principle to talks; this was not officially confirmed. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed and rebuilt the Jantar Mantar stage after it had been dismantled.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref>
Some publications alleged that the mobilisation followed patterns seen in earlier protests involving figures linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, and claimed presence of individuals associated with previous anti-CAA or other agitations, as well as foreign-funded NGOs or activists. These claims included references to funding networks involving Ford Foundation and George Soros, and the spotting of certain civil society figures at the site. Mainstream reporting focused primarily on the clashes and competing claims of responsibility for violence rather than confirming organised foreign or separatist infiltration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Explained: Cockroach Janta Party is setting the stage for violence with their 'Parliament march' |url=https://www.opindia.com/2026/07/cockroach-janta-party-parliament-march-setup-for-violence-sonam-wangchuk-abhijeet-dipke-delhi-riot-playbook-explained/ |website=OpIndia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Anti-India nexus of CJP... |url=https://organiser.org/2026/07/20/370758/bharat/anti-india-nexus-of-cjp-anjali-bharadwaj-shabana-azmi-funded-by-ford-soros-deep-state-spotted-at-delhi-protest/amp/ |website=Organiser}}</ref>

== Reactions ==
Opposition leaders expressed support for the protesters and for Wangchuk's hunger strike. [[Samajwadi Party]] president [[Akhilesh Yadav]] appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, describing his life as "invaluable", while backing the demand for greater accountability in the education system.<ref name="aljazeera2">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[Al Jazeera]]|agency=[[Reuters]]|language=en|archive-date=16 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Rahul Gandhi]] characterised Modi as India's most 'anti-youth Prime Minister'. "Tear-gassing students, lathi-charging students is not democratic...They have legitimate demands. The Prime Minister should accept these demands and do something about it," stated Gandhi. The Congress party condemned the police action against protesters attempting to march to Parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. Additionally, it emphasised that concerns regarding paper leaks had been raised by the party prior to the current agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

On 28 June, [[Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)|NCP (SP)]] national spokesperson [[Anish Gawande]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and reiterated the demand for Pradhan's resignation. Gawande claimed that several opposition parties, including the [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]], the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]], and the NCP (SP), had extended support to the agitation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2026|title=CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Being forced to sit here in heat, wish govt had shown sensitivity, says Sonam Wangchuk|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]|language=en|archive-date=29 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260629014449/https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 July, former Delhi Chief Minister [[Arvind Kejriwal]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar, sought Pradhan's removal, and suggested that Wangchuk be made education minister.<ref name="toikejriwal2">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2026|title='Make Sonam Wangchuk education minister': Arvind Kejriwal joins Jantar Mantar protest, seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's ouster|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257|archive-date=17 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260717054423/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

During his hunger strike, Wangchuk said the movement had "no political colour" and described its demands as an appeal for accountability and reform in the education system rather than merely the resignation of the education minister.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Indian Express]]|language=en|last=Dwivedi|first=Saurabh|archive-date=15 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Union government and the Ministry of Education did not immediately issue a formal response to the demands of the protesters or to Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref name="aljazeera">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |url-status=live }}</ref>

* CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with spokespersons Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and climate activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]]'s wife Gitanjali Angmo, continued a sit-in outside [[Kerala House, New Delhi|Kerala House]] after police had removed them from Jantar Mantar.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=Centre blinks as CJP protest turns massive |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/21/centre-blinks-as-cjp-protest-turns-massive |access-date=2026-07-22 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
* [[Sonam Wangchuk]] wrote an open letter stating he would continue his fast in protest against the police action against demonstrators, on the 24th day of his hunger strike.<ref name="auto1"/>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?".<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM' |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20 |work=India Today}}</ref> On the other hand, MPs [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]] criticised the protests, questioning their objective.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=You cannot arm-twist government: Kangana Ranaut reacts to CJP protest |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/kangana-ranaut-slams-opposition-disruption-cjp-protest-lok-sabha-monsoon-session-arm-twist-government-2951981-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-20 |title=Hema Malini says ‘Protest karne se toh kuch kaam nahi hoga’, refuses to comment on Dharmendra Pradhan resignation demand amid CJP protests near Parliament |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/hema-malini-says-protest-karne-se-toh-kuch-kaam-nahi-hoga-refuses-to-comment-on-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-demand-amid-cjp-protests-near-parliament/articleshow/132519082.cms |access-date=2026-07-20 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Abhijeet Dipke's absence from the protest was also criticised. A protestor alleged that Dipke and the organisers were hiding behind, while students who had come out for the first time were left to face the police.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=How Abhijeet Dipke pulls a Houdini, each time, every time |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-key-moments-wangchuk-sansad-chalo-jp-nadda-demands-pradhan-2952032-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Shobhit |date=July 21, 2026 |title=Internal Rift In CJP? Dissenter Alleges Women Were Pushed To Protest Frontlines By Abhijeet Dipke |url=https://www.news18.com/india/internal-rift-in-cjp-dissenter-alleges-women-were-pushed-to-protest-frontlines-by-abhijeet-dipke-ws-l-10225281.html |access-date=July 21, 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref>

Opposition leaders including [[Rahul Gandhi]], [[Arvind Kejriwal]], [[Akhilesh Yadav]] and others expressed support for the protesters' demands and criticised police action. Gandhi described Modi as the most anti-youth Prime Minister and condemned the use of force. Some BJP leaders and MPs, including [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]], questioned the protests' objectives and methods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
Wangchuk maintained that the movement had no political colour and focused on accountability in the education system. The Union government did not issue an immediate formal response to the core demands.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |website=[[The Indian Express]] |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=India |portal2=Politics}}

[[Category:2026 in Indian politics]]
[[Category:2026 in New Delhi]]
[[Category:2026 protests]]
[[Category:Gen Z protests in Asia]]
[[Category:July 2026 in India]]
[[Category:June 2026 in India]]
[[Category:Protests against the premiership of Narendra Modi]]
[[Category:Protests in India]]
[[Category:Student protests in India]]
[[Category:Protest marches in India]]

Abhijeet Dipke

2026-07-22T16:59:00Z

BellaCH: Deleted tweet screenshot

{{Short description|Indian political communication strategist (born 1995)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Abhijeet Dipke
| image = Abhijeet-dipke.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1995|9|29}}<ref name="lokmat">{{cite web |title=Despite his viral success, Abhijeet's parents worry about his entry into politics |url=https://www.lokmattimes.com/aurangabad/despite-his-viral-success-abhijeets-parents-worry-about-his-entry-into-politics/ |website=Lokmat Times |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra]], India<ref name="tribune">{{cite web |title=Abhijeet Dipke — The 30-year-old behind Cockroach Janta Party's viral rise |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/trending/abhijeet-dipke-the-30-yr-old-behind-cockroach-janta-partys-viral-rise/ |website=The Tribune |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = Political communication strategist<ref name="ndtv">{{cite web |title=Who Is Abhijeet Dipke, Founder Of Online Sensation Cockroach Janta Party |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cockroach-janta-party-who-is-abhijeet-dipke-founder-of-online-sensation-cockroach-janta-party-11531319 |website=NDTV |date=21 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
| years_active = 2020–present
| known_for = Founder of the [[Cockroach Janta Party]]<ref name="statesman">{{cite web |title=Cockroach Janata Party's X (Twitter) account withheld in India |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/cockroach-janata-party-x-twitter-account-withheld-india-abhijeet-dipke-instagram-hacking-1503596491.html |website=The Statesman |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
| notable_works =
| alma_mater = [[Boston University]] ([[MSc]])<ref name="etvbharat">{{cite web |title=Explained: Who Is Abhijeet Dipke, The Man Behind India's Most Unexpectedly Viral Political Satire? |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/lifestyle/abhijeet-dipke-started-cockroach-janata-party-cjp-enn26052101475 |website=ETV Bharat |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
| website =
}}

'''Abhijeet Dipke''' (born 29 September 1995) is an Indian political communication strategist and the founder of the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jain |first=Sanya |date=2026-05-21 |title=Who is Abhijeet Dipke, the Boston-educated founder of Cockroach Janata Party? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/who-is-abhijeet-dipke-the-boston-educated-founder-of-cockroach-janata-party-101779346291274.html |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en}}</ref> a satirical political movement that started in May 2026 after remarks made by [[Chief Justice of India]] [[Surya Kant]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |title=India has a new political superstar - a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |website=BBC News |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera">{{cite web |title='Cockroach Janta Party': Top Indian judge's comment sparks satire, protest |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/5/20/cockroach-janata-party-top-indian-judges-comment-sparks-satire-protest |website=Al Jazeera |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="ndtv"/>

== Early life and education ==

Abhijeet Dipke was born on 29 September 1995 in [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]] (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Maharashtra.<ref name="lokmat"/><ref name="tribune"/> His father Bhagwanrao Dipke is a retired engineer from MIDC, and his mother Anita Dipke is a homemaker.<ref name="lokmat"/> He completed his primary education in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and later studied at S.B. College.<ref name="lokmat"/>

Dipke earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism in [[Pune]].<ref name="ndtv"/><ref name="tribune"/> His father had initially secured his admission in engineering through management quota, but Dipke did not appear for the first-year exams and later shifted to mass media.<ref name="lokmat"/> He then moved to the [[United States]] and completed a Master of Science in Public Relations from [[Boston University]].<ref name="etvbharat"/><ref name="bbc"/>

== Career ==

=== Work with Aam Aadmi Party ===
[[File:Abhijeet Dipke with Manish Sisodia.jpg|thumb|Abhijeet Dipke with Manish Sisodia]]
Between 2020 and 2023, Dipke worked as a volunteer with the [[Aam Aadmi Party]] (AAP) social media team.<ref name="ndtv"/><ref name="tribune"/> During the [[2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election]], which AAP won under [[Arvind Kejriwal]]'s leadership, he made meme-based digital content aimed at young voters.<ref name="ndtv"/><ref name="etvbharat"/> He also served as a communication advisor for the Delhi government's education department.<ref name="timesnow">{{cite web |title=Who Is Abhijeet Dipke: कोण आहेत 'कॉक्रोच जनता पार्टी'चे संस्थापक? |url=https://marathi.timesnownews.com/news/who-is-abhijeet-dipke-man-behind-cockroach-janta-party-overpassing-bjp-on-instagram-gen-z-digital-movement-article-154366512 |website=Times Now Marathi |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref> He left AAP in 2023 to study abroad.<ref name="etvbharat"/>

=== Cockroach Janta Party ===
{{Main|Cockroach Janta Party}}
On 15 May 2026, Chief Justice Surya Kant said during a [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] hearing: "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who do not get any employment or have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some become social media, [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI]] activists, and they start attacking everyone."<ref name="aljazeera"/><ref name="statesman"/> The next day, Dipke posted on [[X (social network)|X]]: "What if all cockroaches come together?"<ref name="aljazeera"/> He then created the Cockroach Janta Party as a satirical online group, setting up a website and a Google Form for membership.<ref name="statesman"/><ref name="timesnow"/>

Within days, the party had over 350,000 registered members.<ref name="aljazeera"/> By 21 May 2026, the CJP's Instagram account had crossed 19 million followers, more than any other political party in India.<ref name="ndtv"/><ref name="tribuneindia">{{cite web |title=Cockroach Janta Party founder Dipke's parents averse to son's 'pursuit of politics' |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/cockroach-janta-party-founder-dipkes-parents-averse-to-sons-pursuit-of-politics/ |website=The Tribune |date=21 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref> The party's X account, which had over 200,000 followers, was later withheld in India "in response to a legal demand."<ref name="statesman"/><ref name="bbc"/> Dipke responded to this on X, calling it an "own goal."<ref name="statesman"/>

Dipke also claimed that attempts were made to hack the party's Instagram account. In a video message, he said: "Many attempts are being made to hack our account. I find it funny that these cowards are targeting young 20-21-year-old students."<ref name="statesman"/>

In an interview with ''India Today'', Dipke said: "Someone who is there to safeguard our freedom of expression is comparing us with cockroaches and parasites for just putting up our opinion."<ref name="indiatoday">{{cite web |title=Meet the man behind Cockroach Janta Party |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/meet-the-man-behind-the-cockroach-janta-party-2914598-2026-05-20 |website=India Today |date=20 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>

In an interview with ''Al Jazeera'', Dipke explained why he picked the cockroach as a symbol: "Those in power think citizens are cockroaches and parasites. They should know that cockroaches breed in rotten places. That's what India is today."<ref name="aljazeera"/>

=== Parents' concerns ===

Following the rapid rise of the Cockroach Janta Party, Dipke's parents expressed concerns about his entry into politics. His mother Anita Dipke told a Marathi news channel that they had lost sleep after learning about his move. His father Bhagwanrao said he wanted his son to take up a job in Pune or Delhi instead of entering politics.<ref name="tribuneindia"/><ref name="lokmat"/> His mother also stated: "He has been rebellious since childhood. Once he decides something, he goes ahead and does it. That is what worries us the most."<ref name="lokmat"/>

== Political positions ==

Dipke has called the Cockroach Janta Party a "platform" for young Indians who feel left out of mainstream politics.<ref name="bbc"/> The party's manifesto includes demands for a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for Chief Justices, 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Cabinet, and cancellation of licenses for media houses owned by the [[Adani Group]] and [[Reliance Industries]].<ref name="aljazeera"/>

== Legal proceedings ==

In May 2026, Dipke filed a petition before the Delhi High Court challenging the Central Government's order directing X to withhold access to the Cockroach Janta Party's account under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The petition argued that the blocking order was unlawful and sought restoration of the account. The Delhi High Court issued notice on the plea and directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Review Committee to examine the blocking order, while declining to grant interim relief.<ref name="quint">{{cite news |last=Varma |first=Aishwarya |title=Founded in Satire, Attacked by Lies: Debunking the Narratives Targeting CJP |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/cockroach-janta-party-narratives-misinformation-protests |work=The Quint |date=12 June 2026 |access-date=2026-07-22}}</ref><ref name="livelaw">{{cite web |title=Delhi High Court Directs MeiTY's Review Committee To Examine Abhijeet Dipke's Plea For Unblocking Cockroach Janta Party's X Account |url=https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-issues-notice-on-abhijeet-dipkes-plea-against-blocking-of-cockroach-janta-partys-x-account-536099 |work=Live Law |date=29 May 2026 |access-date=2026-07-22}}</ref>

Separately, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Allahabad High Court by Karnataka BJP worker S. Vignesh Shishir seeking an investigation by agencies including the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate into Dipke and the Cockroach Janta Party. The petition alleged that the organisation was conducting an "engineered digital campaign" affecting public order and sought the blocking of its social media accounts. The petition also requested investigations under several security-related laws. The allegations reflected the petitioner's claims and had not been adjudicated by the court.<ref name="siasat">{{cite news |title=Plea in HC claims Cockroach Janta Party founder waging war against Centre |url=https://www.siasat.com/plea-in-hc-claims-cockroach-janta-party-founder-waging-war-against-centre-3479130/ |work=The Siasat Daily |date=29 May 2026 |access-date=2026-07-22}}</ref><ref name="lawchakra">{{cite news |title=Existential Threat To India's Stability: Plea In Allahabad High Court Seeks Action Against Cockroach Janta Party Founder Abhijeet Dipke |url=https://lawchakra.in/high-court/cockroach-janta-party-abhijeet-dipke/ |work=Law Chakra |date=1 June 2026 |access-date=2026-07-22}}</ref>

=== 2019 complaint ===
[[File:Abhijeet Dipke Tweets on Kashmir.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of a tweet posted by Abhijeet Dipke on 5 August 2019 regarding Kashmir and Article 370. The tweet was later deleted from his X (formerly Twitter) account.]]

In August 2019, the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), a legal advocacy organisation, submitted a complaint to Pune Police against Abhijeet Dipke over a series of social media posts published following the Government of India's decision to abrogate Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The complaint alleged that Dipke's posts promoted narratives sympathetic to Kashmiri separatists and sought legal action under various provisions of Indian law. It requested that Pune Police register a criminal case and investigate the matter.<ref name="statesman"/><ref name="jaipur"/>

The complaint cited several posts in which Dipke commented on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the constitutional changes. It alleged that the posts spread misinformation, encouraged separatist sentiment, and were prejudicial to India's sovereignty and integrity. It further sought investigation under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and other laws relating to national security.<ref name="jaipur"/> One of the posts referenced in the complaint was a tweet published by Dipke on 5 August 2019 stating, ''"Need to stand with #Kashmir. Today its Kashmir, tomorrow it can be your state."'' The tweet was later deleted from his X (formerly Twitter) account.<ref name="statesman"/>

In interviews given in 2026, Vinay Joshi of the Legal Rights Observatory stated that despite repeated follow-ups with Pune Police over several years, he was not aware of any FIR having been registered in connection with the complaint. ''The Statesman'' reported that it contacted Dipke for comment but had not received a response.<ref name="statesman"/>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Twitter|abhijeet_dipke|Abhijeet Dipke}}

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1995 births]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Boston University College of Communication alumni]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:People from Aurangabad]]
[[Category:Politicians from Marathwada]]
[[Category:Political consultants]]

File:Abhijeet Dipke Tweets on Kashmir.jpg

2026-07-22T16:54:35Z

BellaCH: Screenshot of a tweet posted by Abhijeet Dipke on 5 August 2019 regarding Kashmir and Article 370. The tweet was later deleted from his X (formerly Twitter) account.

== Summary ==
Screenshot of a tweet posted by Abhijeet Dipke on 5 August 2019 regarding Kashmir and Article 370. The tweet was later deleted from his X (formerly Twitter) account.

2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest

2026-07-22T12:58:57Z

BellaCH: 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest

{{Short description|Ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2026}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| name = 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protest
| part_of = [[Gen Z protests]] and [[Gen Z protests in Asia]]
| image = {{Multiple image
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 2
| border = infobox
| image1 = CJP Protestors holding Bhagat Singh posters.jpg
| image2 = Abhijeet Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk.jpg
| image3 = Sonam Wangchuk taken to hospital.webp
| image4 = Protestors at Jantar Mantar.jpg
}}
| caption = '''From left to right, top to bottom''':{{Flatlist|
* Protestors holding posters of [[Bhagat Singh]]
* Abhijeet Dipke with [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* Wangchuk forcibly taken to hospital
* Protestors protesting at Jantar Mantar
}}
| date = 6 June 2026 – present
| causes = {{bulleted list
| [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]]
| [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]]
| Repeated lapses in public examination administration over the past 28 years, resulting in at least 345 paper leaks nationwide by Indian National Congress and BJP
}}
| goals = {{bulleted list
| Resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| Reforms in the examination system
}}
| methods = [[Demonstration (political)|Demonstrations]], [[sit-in]]s, [[hunger strike]]s
| status = Ongoing
| side1 = [[Government of India]]{{bulleted list
| [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Ministry of Education]]
| [[Delhi Police]]
| [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]]
| [[Rapid Action Force]]
| [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
}}
| side2 = {{bulleted list
| [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Cockroach Janta Party]]

| [[File:AISF Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[All India Students' Federation]]
| [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Students Federation of India]]
| [[All India Students Association]]
}}
| lead_figures1 = * [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Narendra Modi]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Amit Shah]]
* [[File:BJP_Flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Dharmendra Pradhan]]
| lead_figures2 = * [[Sonam Wangchuk]]
* [[File:Cockroach_Janta_Party_logo.svg|25x25px]] [[Abhijeet Dipke]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Adarsh M. Saji]]
* [[Neha Bora]]
* [[File:SFI-flag.svg|25x25px]] [[Aishe Ghosh]]

| injuries = 118
| injuries = Approximately 180 (118 security personnel and around 60 protesters, according to Delhi Police)
| casualties = Multiple FIRs registered for violence, stone-pelting, vandalism and assault on public servants
}}
[[File:Dharmendra Pradhan with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, in the United States.jpg|thumb|[[Dharmendra Pradhan]] with his daughter, Nimisha Pradhan, who completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at [[The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]], [[Tufts University]], in the [[United States]]]]
Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations like [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=India news: Cockroach Party warns of protest infiltrators
|url=https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-cockroach-party-warns-of-protest-infiltrators/live-78015662
|work=Deutsche Welle
|publisher=Deutsche Welle
|language=en
|access-date=20 July 2026
}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after the activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref>

The initial social media movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party was created in May 2026 by digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke as a political satire. The name alludes to a statement by [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], who compared unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites".<ref name="bbc" /> Having gained widespread online popularity, the movement transitioned into offline demonstrations, which were permitted by the [[Delhi Police]].

On 28 June 2026, [[Ladakhis|Ladakhi]] environmentalist and education activist, [[Sonam Wangchuk]], joined the demonstration at [[Jantar Mantar]]. He started an indefinite [[hunger strike]] and demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref name="printlive2">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Wangchuk hunger strike Day 21: CJP continues protest at Jantar Mantar ahead of march on 20 July |url=https://theprint.in/india/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-protest-dipke-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates/2989672/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In mid-July 2026, following a leadership change in the Delhi Police, officers removed barricades at the protest site and forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref> This action, along with an ink-throwing incident involving Dipke, drew increased media attention to the agitation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh |archive-date=15 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026 |title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Since 6 June 2026, the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP), an Indian youth-based [[Political satire|satirical political movement]] founded by [[Abhijeet Dipke]], has been holding a series of protests at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi|Jantar Mantar]] in [[New Delhi]] along with student organisations including the [[Students Federation of India]], [[All India Students Association]] and [[All India Students' Federation]].<ref name="bbc2">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2026 |title=Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=16 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026 |title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af |access-date=11 June 2026 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref> The protesters have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister [[Dharmendra Pradhan]] over the [[2026 NEET controversy|2026 NEET paper leak]] and the [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy|CBSE On-Screen Marking irregularities]], along with broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.<ref name="etv">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2026 |title=CJP Demands Education Minister's Resignation in Bengaluru Protest Over National Exam Irregularities |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/cjp-demands-education-ministers-resignation-in-bengaluru-protest-over-national-exam-irregularities-enn26061500191 |access-date=15 June 2026 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |language=en}}</ref> The agitation drew national attention after activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]] began an indefinite [[hunger strike]] at the protest site on 28 June 2026.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026 |title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Pandey |first=Geeta |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo |url-status=live }}</ref> On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the site and admitted him to hospital, an action criticised by organisers as forcible.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=Indian activist on hunger strike for 20 days forcibly taken to hospital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

== Background ==
=== Formation of the Cockroach Janta Party ===
[[File:Cockroach Janta Party logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the Cockroach Janta Party]]
In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India|chief justice of India]], drew criticism for remarks made during a [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] hearing in which he compared the unemployed youth to "cockroaches" and "parasites" who attack institutions through social media activism and litigation.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anand |last=Teltumbde |author-link=Anand Teltumbde |date=9 June 2026 |title=Who are the real parasites? |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/columns/surya-kant-parasite-remark-unemployment/article71041381.ece |website=[[Frontline (magazine)]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Kishor |first1=Udayan |date=16 May 2026 |title='Pained' by how media misquoted my observation: CJI Surya Kant issues clarification on 'parasite' remark |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260523133556/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/16/was-talking-about-those-entering-bar-through-fake-bogus-degrees-cji-on-cockroaches-remark |archive-date=23 May 2026 |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{quote|There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches; they don't get any employment, and they don't have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI]] activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone [...] And you people file contempt petitions.<ref name="ANtnie">{{cite news |last1=Neelakantan |first1=Anand |title=Travails of a Cockroach-infested System |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=31 May 2026 |language=en |archive-date=1 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601055718/https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/May/31/travails-of-a-cockroach-infested-system |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The remarks drew widespread public criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the [[Cockroach Janta Party]] (CJP; Cockroach People's Party), a satirical political movement. Its name is a direct reference to Kant's remarks while parodying the name of the ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). The movement rapidly gained a large social media following.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260521094129/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |archive-date=21 May 2026 |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref> Kant later clarified that his criticism was directed at individuals who had entered the legal, media, and activist professions using fraudulent academic credentials, and that he respected the youth.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=Youth are pillars of country, remarks aimed at those with 'fake' degrees: CJI Surya Kant |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cji-surya-kant-clarifies-parasites-remarks-says-pained-over-media-reports/article70986796.ece |access-date=22 May 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 May 2026 |title=After Outrage over His 'Cockroaches' 'Parasites' Remarks, CJI Surya Kant Says Media 'Misquoted' Him |url=https://thewire.in/rights/offends-spirit-of-democracy-outrage-over-cji-surya-kants-cockroaches-parasites-remarks |access-date=6 June 2026 |work=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2026, [[Surya Kant]], the [[Chief Justice of India]], made remarks during a Supreme Court hearing comparing certain unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites". The remarks drew criticism. On 16 May 2026, digital communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party as a satirical movement referencing the comments while parodying the name of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. The movement gained online popularity and transitioned to offline protests.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=21 May 2026 |title=India has a new political superstar – a cockroach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72y11jjq1o |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=[[BBC News]]|last=Mateen|first=Zoya}}</ref>

=== Scandals ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed two examination-related scandals in 2026: a [[Paper leak in India|paper leak]] affecting the [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET-UG]] medical entrance examination and irregularities in the [[Central Board of Secondary Education]]'s on-screen marking and revaluation process, which left thousands of students awaiting clarity on their final results.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Examination controversies ===
{{Main|2026 NEET controversy|2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy}}
The protests followed a paper leak affecting the NEET-UG examination and irregularities in the CBSE on-screen marking process.<ref name="printlive">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened |url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/ |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[ThePrint]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Timeline ==
=== June ===
==== 6 June ====
* Abhijeet Dipke arrives from the [[United States]] to India, launching the CJP's first street protest.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>

==== 7–19 June ====
* The movement transitions into periodic sit-ins, digital campaigns, and awareness drives across Delhi.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=6 June 2026 |title=Cockroach Janta Party protest updates: Protest ends in Jantar Mantar; six detained |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cockroach-janta-party-abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-live-updates-june-6-2026/article71068317.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==== 20 June ====
* Demonstrators regroup at Jantar Mantar for extended mobilisation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke: Why India's cockroach protesters are still on the streets in over 40C heat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716091021/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0ey5y10qo |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 21 June ====
* Dipke issues a public appeal for [[National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)|NEET]] aspirants to join the venue following re-examination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2026 |title=NEET Re-Exam Paper Analysis 2026 Highlights: 'Result sooner than expected,' says NTA DG |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260704023415/https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-2026-re-exam-live-updates-analysis-guidelines-admit-cards-neet-nta-ac-in-10744090/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 22–27 June ====
* Protests gain widespread social media attention.<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=21 June 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi: Dipke, supporters continue sit-in overnight at Jantar Mantar; urge people to join protest |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=21 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260621070831/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cockroach-janata-party-protest-in-delhi-jantar-mantar-day-2-updates-abhijeet-dipke-neet-retest/article71128683.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 28 June ====
* Prominent Ladakhi environmentalist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk joins the protest, declaring an indefinite hunger strike alongside six students of the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA), demanding the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Ministry of Education (India)|Union Minister of Education]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2 June 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk joins CJP protest, begins indefinite fast over alleged exam irregularities |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/28/sonam-wangchuk-joins-cjp-protest-begins-indefinite-fast-over-alleged-exam-irregularities |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 30 June ====
* CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=12 June 2026 |title=CJP launches nationwide 'Pradhan Go Back' campaign, retaliates Education Minister's resignation |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/26/cjp-launches-nationwide-pradhan-go-back-campaign-retaliates-education-ministers-resignation |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

=== July ===
==== 1–17 July ====
* CJP protests gain support from opposition parties,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Chinni |date=9 July 2026 |title=NEET Protest: Opposition Backs CJP Movement |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/neet-protest-opposition-support/article71201448.ece |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> garnering widespread public support, especially for Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike live: Wangchuk rules out ending fast |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-live-sonam-wangchuk-rules-out-ending-fast-urges-people-to-join-cjp-s-parliament-march/ar-AA280L5b |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=MSN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Support grows for Sonam Wangchuk as protests erupt in multiple cities ahead of July 20 Parliament march |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/support-grows-for-sonam-wangchuk-as-protests-erupt-in-multiple-cities-ahead-of-july-20-parliament-march/4295815/ |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}</ref>

==== 18 July ====
* Sonam Wangchuk is forcibly removed from the protest site by police; [[Rahul Gandhi]], Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticises the action on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026 |title=Opposition Slams Modi Govt as Delhi Police Remove Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/opposition-slams-modi-govt-for-removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=18 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police forcefully pick up Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/delhi-police-forcefully-pick-up-sonam-wangchuk-from-jantar-mantar |access-date=19 July 2026 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title='Removal of Sonam Wangchuk wrong': Rahul Gandhi slams BJP's 'asatya and hinsa' approach in first reaction to Jantar Mantar protest |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |access-date=19 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718130416/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/removal-of-sonam-wangchuk-wrong-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjps-asatya-and-hinsa-approach-in-first-reaction-to-jantar-mantar-protest/articleshow/132478450.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Abhijeet Dipke and others start an indefinite hunger strike in protest of his removal.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece |access-date=18 July 2026 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026 |title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |access-date=18 July 2026 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== 20 July ====
* More than 1 lakh protesters gather at Jantar Mantar and [[Sansad Chalo March|attempt to march toward Parliament House]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pandey|first=Geeta|last2=Delhi|first2=Azadeh Moshiri from Jantar Mantar in|date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar, CJP, parliament: Thousands of 'cockroach' protesters march in Delhi|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|access-date=20 July 2026|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|archive-date=20 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720094718/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8rnddx2j46t|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=Al Jazeera |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das meet Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] to present demands, including the release of Wangchuk, the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, and financial compensation of {{INR|1 crore}} for families of deceased NEET aspirants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|access-date=20 July 2026|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Union health minister holds talks with two members of Cockroach Party as protesters storm central Delhi |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720114957/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/union-health-minister-holds-talks-with-two-members-of-cockroach-party-as-protesters-storm-central-delhi/cid/2170948 |archive-date=20 July 2026 |access-date=20 July 2026 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The protesters were met with a brutal Lathi charge and were dispersed using tear gas by the police.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaushik |first=Shrimansi |date=2026-07-21 |title=Protesters march ahead, only to be met with lathis, tear gas |url=https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/protesters-march-ahead-only-to-be-met-with-lathis-tear-gas/article71247923.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* At least 118 personnel were hurt and between 15–20 government vehicles were damaged during the day's protests, according to the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |access-date=20 July 2026 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* Hospital authorities and police sources stated that around 60 protesters were also injured. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital alone recorded 65 medico-legal cases involving both protesters and police by 7 pm.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720235211/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Delhi Police detains 70 CJP protesters, alleges 'violent' & 'unruly' conduct |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/delhi-police-detains-70-cjp-protesters-alleges-violent-unruly-conduct/articleshow/132520853.cms?from=mdr |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
* According to the CJP, a party member's leg was broken after the Delhi Police dragged him.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026|title=Jantar Mantar Protest Live Updates: CJP Rebuilds Jantar Mantar Stage, Appeals for Medical Kits and Torches as Protest Resumes|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi/jantar-mantar-protest-live-updates-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-abhijeet-dipke-parliament-march-20th-july-liveblog-155135443|access-date=20 July 2026|website=TimesNow|language=en}}</ref>
* The Jantar Mantar stage was rebuilt by the CJP after being destroyed by the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite web |last=deccanchronicle|date=20 July 2026|title=Live: Shah Meets Pradhan as CJP March Escalates|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/live-police-clear-cjp-protest-site-after-crackdown-nadda-nadda-holds-talks|access-date=20 July 2026|website=www.deccanchronicle.com|language=en}}</ref>

==== 21 July ====
* Protestors reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police removed the stage and tents from Jantar Mantar following a day of protests and confrontations between protesters and police on Monday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=CJP protest in Delhi highlights: Dipke, protesters reclaim dismantled Jantar Mantar protest site, as CJP awaits Govt response to demands |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cjp-protest-july-20-2026-cockroach-janata-party-jantar-mantar-parliament-march-sonam-wangchuk/article71242448.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Vijeta Dahiya, the CJP spokesperson, was removed from his position after taking a fast food break, while protestors and party members were facing "brutal police violence".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Pathikrit Sen |date=21 July 2026 |title='Yes, I'll Eat the Burger': Cockroach Janta Party Sacks Vijeta Dahiya After Fast Food Fracas During NEET Protest |url=https://www.news18.com/india/yes-ill-eat-the-burger-cockroach-janta-party-sacks-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-10225459.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande |first=Anagha |date=21 July 2026 |title='I was hungry': CJP sacks spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya after he defends leaving protest march, eating burger instead |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-was-hungry-cjp-sacks-spokesperson-vijeta-dahiya-after-fast-food-fracas-during-neet-protest-101784630939570.html |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
* The Delhi High court orders Sonam Wangchuck to be shifted immediatly from Safdarjung hospital to Medanta hospital in Gurugram.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2026-07-21 |title=Delhi High Court orders immediate shift of Sonam Wangchuk to Medanta Hospital |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-high-court-allows-sonam-wangchuk-to-shift-to-private-hospital/article71248605.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* Congress MPs led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence demanding answers for the brutality against students during the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) on X |url=https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2079509012538876206 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Leaders from other opposition parties join the protest outside the PM's residence, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=ANI (@ANI) on X |url=https://x.com/ANI/status/2079551774042833342 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Police subsequently detained Rahul Gandhi along with other opposition leaders outside the PM's residence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-21 |title=Congress (@INCIndia) on X |url=https://x.com/INCIndia/status/2079557562740183507 |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en-US}}</ref>
* CJP announced a protest at the Delhi Police headquarters if the detained protesters were not released, while the Delhi Police stated that no protesters were detained during the march.<ref>{{cite news |author=TNIE Online |title=Jantar Mantar protest LIVE | Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav detained from protest outside PM's residence |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates#live/2026/Jul/21/cjp-protest-live-updates-dae1d85b-a515-4321-a56c-2921e5b9e531 |work=The New Indian Express |date=21 July 2026 |language=English }}</ref>

== Timeline of key events ==
=== June 2026 ===
On 6 June, Dipke launched the first street protest at Jantar Mantar after arriving from the United States. Periodic sit-ins followed. On 20 June, demonstrators regrouped for extended mobilisation. On 28 June, Sonam Wangchuk joined and began an indefinite hunger strike with AISA students, demanding Pradhan's resignation. On 30 June, CJP launched a nationwide "Pradhan Go Back" campaign.<ref name="AJZ">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=6 June 2026 |title='I'm a cockroach': Gen Z protest movement lands in Indian capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/6/im-a-cockroach-gen-z-protest-movement-lands-in-indian-capital |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref>
=== July 2026 ===
Support grew from opposition parties. On 18 July, police removed Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital; Dipke and others began indefinite hunger strikes in response. On 20 July, the Sansad Chalo March took place amid clashes. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed the Jantar Mantar site after police dismantled infrastructure the previous day. The Delhi High Court ordered Wangchuk shifted to a private hospital. Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi protested outside the Prime Minister's residence and were detained.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Ishika |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP Reclaims Jantar Mantar, Says Protest To Continue, Police On Alert |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-protesters-reclaim-jantar-mantar-say-stir-to-continue-police-alert-11798889 |access-date=21 July 2026 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

== Protests ==
=== First protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its first street protest at [[Jantar Mantar, New Delhi]] on 6 June 2026, to demand the resignation of [[Dharmendra Pradhan]], the [[Minister of Education (India)|union minister of education]];<ref name="AJZ" /> it was the first major demonstration at Jantar Mantar since the [[2023 Indian wrestlers' protest]].<ref name="WR" /> The [[Delhi Police]] granted permission for the protest until 5 P.M. in what they described as a one-time exception.<ref name="printlive3">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026|title=Cockroach Janta Party protest: As it happened|url=https://theprint.in/india/live-updates-delhi-cockroach-janta-party-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-abhijeet-dipke-sonam-wangchuk/2952271/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[ThePrint]]|language=en}}</ref> The police deployed around 5,000 personnel in the [[New Delhi district]] and strengthened security at several locations, including [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], ahead of the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|title=Security stepped up across Delhi ahead of Cockroach Janta Party protest call|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/security-stepped-up-across-delhi-ahead-of-cockroach-janta-party-protest-call/articleshow/131543236.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Prathamesh|last=Kharade|title=Delhi On Alert: 1,000+ Cops Deployed Ahead Of Cockroach Janata Party's Jantar Mantar Protest|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/delhi-on-alert-1000-cops-deployed-ahead-of-cockroach-janata-partys-jantar-mantar-protest|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Free Press Journal]]}}</ref> Organisers asked participants to protest peacefully and encouraged them to bring the [[Flag of India|national flag]] and a book, which they said symbolised the [[right to education]] and equal opportunity.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026|first=Sheikh|last=Saalik|title=Viral party for India's 'cockroaches' holds first major protest in Delhi after founder flies in from US|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janta-party-protest-today-delhi-abhijeet-dipke-b2990913.html|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="JZ2">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2026 |title=Supporters of the Cockroach People's Party hold protest in New Delhi |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/6/supporters-of-the-cockroach-peoples-party-hold-protest-in-new-delhi |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> Dipke, who arrived in New Delhi from the [[United States]] shortly before the protest, was joined at the site by Indian engineer, activist, and education reformer [[Sonam Wangchuk]].<ref name="printlive3" /> Hundreds of protesters gathered at the site,<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI" /> including students, parents, doctors, lawyers, and teachers, among others,<ref name="WR" /> with some holding placards and wearing cockroach masks.<ref name="JZ2" /><ref name="MPI">{{Cite web |first=Shabnoor |last=Irshad |date=6 June 2026 |title=Hundreds don masks as supporters of India's viral 'Cockroach People's Party' stage first protest |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/cockroach-party-protest-india-video-b2991078.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Attackers allegedly affiliated with the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), a [[Hindutva]] paramilitary organisation, attempted to disrupt the protest by harassing and assaulting some protesters; the attack was condemned by the [[All India Students' Federation]] (AISF) and the [[All India Youth Federation]] (AIYF).<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref> The CJP announced that it would launch a nationwide agitation if Pradhan did not resign within seven days.<ref name="NIE">{{Cite news |date=6 June 2026 |title=CJP issues 7-day ultimatum; threatens nationwide protests if Education Minister Pradhan does not resign |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign |access-date=17 July 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]|archive-date=17 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260617114012/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/06/cjp-issues-7-day-ultimatum-threatens-nationwide-protests-if-education-minister-pradhan-does-not-resign|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== National campaign ===
On 11 June 2026, the CJP launched a nationwide campaign seeking reforms in the education system, beginning at [[Savitribai Phule Pune University]] in [[Pune]]. Dipke released what he called an exam manifesto containing five demands, including compensation of {{INR|10,000|link=yes}} for students affected by a paper leak, postponement of an examination, or delay in the declaration of results. He said the movement would travel to cities including [[Jaipur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Amritsar]], and [[Bengaluru]] before returning to Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 June 2026|title='System is rotten, cockroaches will correct it': CJP launches nationwide agitation in Pune; releases 'exam manifesto'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/11/system-is-rotten-cockroaches-will-correct-it-cjp-launches-nationwide-agitation-in-pune-releases-exam-manifesto|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref name="ap2">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2026|title=India's viral Cockroach Party launches nationwide youth protests|url=https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-youth-protest-988e205b0859ac2c5fbc8af9ad4925af|access-date=11 June 2026|website=[[AP News]]|language=en}}</ref>

=== Second protest at Jantar Mantar ===
The CJP held its second protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 June 2026. Hundreds of protesters, most of them students, gathered, holding placards, singing the [[Jana Gana Mana|national anthem]], and banging metal plates with spoons as a symbol of protest;<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="THT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title=Youths rally in large numbers; bang plates, spoons to demand accountability at CJP protest|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/heavy-security-in-place-as-cjp-stages-second-protest-at-jantar-mantar/article71125029.ece|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> many travelled from across the nation to take part in the protest.<ref name="DRD" /> Ahead of the protest, Dipke alleged on social media that the authorities may allow "goons" to disrupt the protest and blame the CJP, posting photos of lorries parked at Jantar Mantar which he claimed were loaded with stones.<ref name=":62">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Delhi Police lathi-charge, fire tear gas at 'Sansad Chalo' march, detain Abhijeet Dipke, Dimple Yadav and others|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720233636/https://thesouthfirst.com/beyond-south/delhi-police-lathi-charge-fire-tear-gas-at-sansad-chalo-march-arrest-abhijeet-dipke-dimple-yadav-and-others/|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=The South First {{!}} News, Politics, Sports, Entertainment & Live Updates|language=en-GB}}</ref> According to the [[Delhi Police]], the protest, which began at 1 P.M., had permission only until 5 P.M.; Dipke refused to end the demonstration, stating that he would not leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigned, and urged supporters to join the protest that evening.<ref name="TT" /><ref name="YSHR">{{Cite web |first=Yashraj |last=Sharma |date=21 June 2026 |title=India's 'Cockroach' movement camps out until education minister resigns |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/21/indias-cockroach-movement-camps-out-until-education-minister-resigns |website=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref> The Delhi police employed several pressure tactics to persuade the protesters to leave the barricaded site, including switching off the lights and briefly cutting off access to food and drinking water.<ref name="DRD" /><ref name="YSHR" /> At the protest, Wangchuk announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from 27 June if Pradhan did not resign.<ref name="TT">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2026|title='Won't leave until Pradhan resigns': Dipke, CJP supporters after Delhi Police deny permission to continue protest|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-dipke-arrives-at-jantar-mantar-protest-protestors-chant-go-pradhan-go/|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]}}</ref>

=== Protests at Jantar Mantar ==
The first major protest on 6 June was permitted until 5 pm. Hundreds gathered, some wearing cockroach masks and holding placards. Organisers encouraged carrying the national flag and books as symbols of education rights. Allegations of disruption by individuals linked to the RSS were made by student bodies, while police maintained order.<ref name="WR">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title='RSS Will Not Deter Us,' Say Student Bodies on Alleged Attacks at CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest |url=https://thewire.in/rights/rss-will-not-deter-us-say-student-bodies-on-alleged-attacks-at-cjps-debut-jantar-mantar-protest |website=[[The Wire (India)]]}}</ref>
A nationwide campaign began on 11 June from Pune. The second major sit-in on 20 June saw hundreds gather; police used pressure tactics after the permitted time expired, including switching off lights. Wangchuk announced his hunger strike plans at the site.<ref name="DRD">{{Cite web |first=Alisha Rahaman |last=Sarkar |date=23 June 2026 |title=India's viral 'cockroaches' are biggest challenge to Modi in years. Will they get what they want? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/cockroach-janata-party-neet-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-protest-b3000119.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
Videos and reports from early protests documented participants raising "Azadi" slogans such as "BJP se Azadi", "Modi se Azadi" and "Hum leke rahenge Azadi". There were also allegations of improper handling of the national flag and individual remarks dismissive of Hindu religious figures and epics, which drew criticism that the protests were incorporating rhetoric beyond educational demands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2026 |title=From ‘Azadi’ slogans to disrespect of national flag: Inside the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar |url=https://www.vsktelangana.org/Encyc/2026/6/8/from-azadi-slogans-disrespect-national-flag-inside-cockroach-janta-party-protest-jantar-mantar.html |website=VSK Telangana}}</ref>

=== Hunger strikes ===
==== Hunger strike of Sonam Wangchuk and AISA leaders ====
[[File:CPI(M)_leaders_M._A._Baby_and_Brinda_Karat_meeting_Sonam_Wangchuk.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] leaders [[M. A. Baby]] and [[Brinda Karat]] extending solidarity to [[Sonam Wangchuk]] and other protesters]]
[[Sonam Wangchuk]], an engineer and education reformer, became a prominent figure in the protests. On 28 June, he began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar along with six students from the [[All India Students Association]] (AISA) including their National President Neha Bora and an independent student activist named Hamad<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718084943/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:CPI_leaders_meet_with_Jantar_Mantar_protesters.jpg|right|thumb|[[Communist Party of India]] leaders [[D. Raja]] and Prof. Dinesh C. Varshney extending solidarity to protesters in Jantar Mantar, Delhi]]
By 17 July, the nineteenth day of the strike, Wangchuk had lost 9.1 kilograms of body weight. A doctor attending him said he had begun losing muscle mass, and video footage showed him unable to stand or walk unaided. Politicians and entertainers, including the signatories of a statement with more than 1,800 signatures, appealed to him to end the fast. A petition filed in the [[Delhi High Court]] asked the government to admit him to a hospital to prevent his death; the government told the court that it would intervene if his health deteriorated.<ref name="bbc32" />
[[File:Dipankar_Bhattacharya_with_Jantar_Mantar_Protesters.jpg|left|thumb|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]] General Secretary [[Dipankar Bhattacharya]] extending solidarity with indefinite hunger strikers including Neha Bora]]
On 18 July, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and admitted him to [[Safdarjung Hospital]], attached to [[Vardhman Mahavir Medical College]]. Police stated that the action was taken on medical advice and in compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court. Protest organisers criticised the police action, alleging that Wangchuk had been taken from the site forcibly and without prior notice.<ref name="et22">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike after Wangchuk taken to hospital|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]|issn=0013-0389|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718070154/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cjp-chief-abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-after-wangchuk-taken-to-hospital/articleshow/132473653.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=France-Presse|first=Agence|date=18 July 2026|title=Indian activist linked to Cockroach party moved to hospital after 20-day hunger strike|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/indian-activist-linked-to-cockroach-party-moved-to-hospital-after-20-day-hunger-strike|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Guardian]]|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Dipke said the authorities had made "a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk" and warned that suppressing the protest would spark demonstrations across Delhi.<ref name="cockroach-x2">{{Cite web |date=19 July 2026|title=Abhijeet Dipke's message to the Police: "You made a big mistake by kidnapping Sonam Wangchuk..."|url=https://x.com/Cockroachisback/status/2078778925585449150|website=X|access-date=19 July 2026}}</ref> On 20 July, Wangchuk announced in a handwritten statement issued from the Safdarjung Hospital, that he would continue the fast until the "youth leaders are allowed to meet the parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital".<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=20 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to continue fast, cites police action against protesters |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sonam-wangchuk-to-continue-fast-cites-police-action-against-protesters/article71245847.ece |access-date=21 July 2026 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
[[File:Sonam_Wangchuk_meeting_Arvind_Kejriwal.jpg|right|thumb|[[Aam Aadmi Party]] leader [[Arvind Kejriwal]] meeting with [[Sonam Wangchuk]] during his hunger strike]]

==== Hunger strike of Abhijeet Dipke, SFI leader Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists ====
On 18 July, Dipke announced that he had begun an indefinite hunger strike. The announcement came after the office of the New Delhi [[Deputy Commissioner of Police|deputy commissioner of police]] said Wangchuk had been shifted to hospital for essential medical care on the orders of the Delhi High Court and on expert medical advice. Dipke alleged that he had been beaten and detained by Delhi Police during what he described as a crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar while Wangchuk was being taken to hospital. He said that the march planned for 20 July would proceed as scheduled.<ref name=":32">{{Cite news |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP's Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite hunger strike, as police shifts Wangchuk to hospital|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/abhijeet-dipke-begins-indefinite-hunger-strike-jantar-mantar-protest-sonam-wangchuk-july-18-2026/article71237051.ece|access-date=18 July 2026|work=[[The Hindu]]|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2026|title=CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike; July 20 march to 'proceed as planned'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[The New Indian Express]]|language=en|archive-date=18 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260718092015/https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/18/cjp-founder-abhijeet-dipke-starts-indefinite-hunger-strike-july-20-march-to-proceed-as-planned|url-status=live}}</ref>

On the same day, [[Students Federation of India]] General Secretary [[Srijan Bhattacharyya]] announced that SFI President Adarsh M. Saji and SFI Joint Secretary [[Aishe Ghosh]] will join the indefinite hunger strike. Three AISA activists, Neha Bora, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar and independent student Hamad continued their strike on their 21st day and so on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaroananda.com/story/latest-news/breaking-news/sfi-aishe-ghosh-jantar-mantar-protest-dharmendra-pradhan/11010650|title=অনশনে এসএফআই-ও|website=Aaro Ananda}}</ref>

Four activists of [[All India Students Federation]], namely, Gulab Dan, Pratibha, Aniketh Madke and Bittu, also joined the hunger strike.

Wangchuk's hunger strike, joined by AISA leaders including Neha Bora, continued for 20 days. By mid-July he had lost significant weight. On 18 July, police shifted him to hospital on medical advice and court directions. Dipke, SFI leaders Adarsh M. Saji and Aishe Ghosh, and AISF activists subsequently began or continued hunger strikes. Wangchuk later stated from hospital that he would continue fasting until youth leaders could meet parliamentarians.<ref name="bbc32">{{cite web |date=16 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm0mg4z7edo|access-date=18 July 2026|website=[[BBC News]]|last=Pandey|first=Geeta}}</ref>

=== Sansad Chalo March ===
{{Main|Sansad Chalo March}}
On 20 July, the first day of the monsoon session of the [[Parliament of India]], CJP launched its 'Chalo Sansad' march. CJP asked the protesters to bring the national flag and a copy of the Constitution or photographs of [[B. R. Ambedkar]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] or [[Bhagat Singh]]. It also urged them to avoid political or organisational flags and to protest peacefully.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2026|title='Carry Tiranga, avoid political flags': CJP releases do's an don'ts for 'Chalo Sansad' march|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/carry-tiranga-avoid-political-flags-cjp-releases-dos-and-donts-for-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132495045.cms|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The march became more important after the treatment of Wangchuk, who went on a 20-day hunger strike to support the CJP at Jantar Mantar. On Saturday, he was taken to the hospital by force. This upset CJP supporters and brought more attention to the protest movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedj9j911p8o|title=Jantar Mantar: What is the Gen Z CJP protest in Delhi about?|date=21 July 2026|website=www.bbc.com}}</ref>

Delhi Police tightened security across New Delhi district before the march and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the [[Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita]] (BNSS). A day before the march, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma shared a public advisory on [[X (social network)|X]] which stated that Delhi Police had not granted permission for the march.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 June 2026|title=Delhi Police clarifies no permission sought or given for parliament march to CJP|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-clarifies-no-permission-sought-or-given-for-parliament-march-to-cjp/articleshow/132497794.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Delhi Metro Rail Corporation]] (DMRC) closed five metro stations – [[Seva Teerth metro station|Seva Teerth]], [[Central Secretariat metro station|Central Secretariat]], [[Patel Chowk metro station|Patel Chowk]], [[Janpath metro station|Janpath]] and one of India's biggest interchange stations, [[Rajiv Chowk metro station|Rajiv Chowk]] over security concerns ahead of CJP's march to the Parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Chaos at Delhi metro stations as five stations shut over security concerns: commuters scramble for alternate routes|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/massive-chaos-at-delhi-metro-five-stations-shut-amid-security-concerns-commuters-left-stranded/articleshow/132507039.cms|access-date=20 July 2026|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> Protests broke out within metro stations as the government sealed the exit points to stations which were near the protest site.<ref name=":52">{{Cite news |last=Staff|first=Al Jazeera|title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian parliament|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720232028/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|work=Al Jazeera|language=en}}</ref> Internet was also shutdown in the vicinity of the Parliament.<ref name=":72">{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026|title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104|access-date=20 July 2025|work=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref><ref name=":82">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=20 July 2026 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html|first1=Hemani|last1=Bhandari|first2=Priyanshu|last2=Priya|access-date=20 July 2026}}</ref><ref name=":92">{{Cite news |title=Tear gas, lathi charge: Police use force to disperse CJP protesters near Parliament House as chaos unfolds amid 'Chalo Sansad'|work=Deccan Herald|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tear-gas-lathi-charge-police-use-force-to-disperse-cjp-protesters-near-parliament-house-as-chaos-unfolds-amid-chalo-sansad-4080104}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite news |title=Lathi charge, internet cut: How CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' March brought Delhi to a standstill|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-cjp-chalo-sansad-march-brought-delhi-to-a-standstill-lathi-charge-detentions-internet-snags-sonam-wangchuk-101784533037018.html}}</ref>

Security forces used tear gas and [[lathi charge]] against the protesters who were marching towards the Parliament by breaking police barricades.<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":82" /><ref name=":92" /><ref name=":102" /> Near Constitution Club, tear gas affected commuters at Central Secretariat metro station and a ''Wire'' reporter covering the protest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=As Images of Lathicharge, Tear Gas at Protesters Surface; Delhi Police Says No 'Sporadic Use of Violence' |url=https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260720234735/https://thewire.in/government/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors|archive-date=20 July 2026|access-date=20 July 2026|website=The Wire|language=en-US}}</ref>

Students and eyewitnesses said that authorities used excessive force, including beating demonstrators,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM'|work=India Today|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Police attack Cockroach activists as thousands march on Indian Parliament|work=Al Jazeera|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/20/police-attack-cockroach-activists-as-thousands-march-on-indian-parliament}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of police beating protesters|website=X|url=https://x.com/ViralDecoder/status/2079227176055152886}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video footage|website=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kCEsVQq2E}}</ref> dragging students along the streets,<ref>{{Cite news |title='Students raising valid issues were dragged, beaten': Rahul Gandhi's first reaction on CJP march|work=Hindustan Times|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/students-raising-valid-issues-were-dragged-beaten-rahul-gandhis-first-reaction-on-cjp-march-101784552315384.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of protesters being dragged|website=X|url=https://x.com/diplomattimes/status/2079258288798232635}}</ref> detaining students and children in police buses,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Clashes, tear gas thwart students' march to Parliament; several injured, detained|work=ThePrint|date=20 July 2026|url=https://theprint.in/india/clashes-tear-gas-thwart-students-march-to-parliament-several-injured-detained/2991284/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detainees being taken in police buses|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079092607502954810}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of detentions|website=X|url=https://x.com/TyrantOppressor/status/2079143362511466590}}</ref> and using electrified barricades that protesters said delivered electric shocks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video showing electrified barricades|website=X|url=https://x.com/Kumarjyoti49291/status/2079199366217453738}}</ref> The CJP claimed, based on social media visuals, that security forces took firing positions with machine guns aimed at the Parliament gates.<ref name=":62" /> ''The South First'' reported that visuals showed protesters bleeding from injuries to their head and upper body.<ref name=":62" /> [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] became a refuge for several such students and protesters fleeing batons and teargas.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sons injured during CJP's Parliament march, a mother breaks down: 'Attack on country's children'|work=The Indian Express|date=21 July 2026|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-cjp-protest-students-injured-police-lathicharge-sonam-wangchuk-10795724}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Gurdwara Bangla Sahib shelters injured protesters, stranded commuters in Delhi|work=The Tribune|date=21 July 2026|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/gurdwara-bangla-sahib-shelters-injured-stranded}}</ref>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?". <ref>{{Cite news |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues|work=The New Indian Express|date=20 July 2026|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

Delhi Police rejected the allegations, stating that it had engaged in maintaining public order in a professional manner and denied reports of any violence or detentions during the protest.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Delhi Police denies 'violence' claims amid CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march|work=The Times of India|date=20 July 2026|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-police-denies-violence-claims-amid-cjps-chalo-sansad-march/articleshow/132508268.cms}}</ref>

=== Police intimidation ===
The handling of the protests by Delhi Police became a subject of dispute. Police stated that permission for the demonstration on 20 June 2026 had been granted only until 5 P.M., but organisers continued the sit-in beyond the permitted time, saying they would remain until their demands were addressed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma|first=Saurabh|date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist urged to give up hunger strike over exam leaks|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indian-activist-urged-give-up-hunger-strike-over-exam-leaks-2026-07-14/|website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 20 July, Delhi Police used lathis to disperse hundreds of protesters marching from Mandi House Metro Station to Jantar Mantar, intending to reach the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest site, as reported by an eyewitness to PTI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJP 'Chalo Sansad' {{!}} Lathi-charge reported as 'cockroaches' march towards Jantar Mantar; Delhi Police say 'no such incident' |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/cjp-chalo-sansad-lathi-charge-reported-as-cockroaches-march-towards-jantar-mantar-delhi-police-say-no-such-incident-4079985 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

The police response also attracted legal scrutiny. In July 2026, a [[public interest litigation]] was filed before the Delhi High Court alleging that Delhi Police had subjected protesters to continuous photography, videography, and surveillance, creating what the petition called an "atmosphere of intimidation" and infringing their rights to privacy and peaceful assembly. The matter was admitted for hearing.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=15 July 2026|title='Atmosphere of intimidation': PIL in Delhi high court questions continuous surveillance of Jantar Mantar protesters|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/atmosphere-of-intimidation-pil-in-delhi-high-court-questions-continuous-surveillance-of-jantar-mantar-protesters/articleshow/132419094.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Violence and resistance ==
{{Expand section|date=July 2026}}
Around 11:25 am, protesters tried pushing through barricades in the high-security zone, leading to a scuffle in which both protesters and police sustained minor injuries. As numbers grew, police fired tear gas and used [[Lathi charge|lathi charges]] to disperse the crowd, with some protesters seen bleeding from head and upper-body injuries. When protesters tried breaking through the final barricades on [[Sansad Marg]], police used their sticks "irrespective of gender", while some demonstrators tried and failed to escape through an [[LIC Housing Finance|LIC]] building gate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chanda |first=Riju |date=2026-07-20 |title=Miscommunication causes chaos, but lathi charge, rain fail to break spirits of young protesters as traffic comes to grinding halt |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2026/07/20/sansad-chalo-march-cjp-jantar-mantar.html |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[The Week]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=N. L. |date=2026-07-20 |title=Under shadow of lathis and barricades: The day the Modi govt finally engaged the CJP |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/07/20/under-shadow-of-lathis-and-barricades-the-day-the-modi-govt-finally-engaged-the-cjp |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[Newslaundry]] |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Police Vehicles Destroyed By Protester.jpg|thumb|Police vehicles destroyed by protesters]]
[[File:Protester With Sword.jpg|thumb|Protester With Sword]]
[[File:Police Fire Tear Gas.jpg|thumb|Police Fire Tear Gas]]

Around 11:25 am, protesters attempted to push through barricades in the high-security zone near Parliament Street, Patel Chowk and Rail Bhawan. According to Delhi Police, protesters displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour, breached barricades, pelted stones and other objects at security personnel, vandalised police and government vehicles, and damaged public property. Police responded with lathi charges and tear gas. Videos and reports documented stone-pelting by demonstrators.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Over 70 detained; police claim 118 personnel hurt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-70-detained-police-claim-118-personnel-hurt/articleshow/132522189.cms |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 July 2026 |title=CJP protest turns violent, over 50 security personnel injured in stone-pelting |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack/video/cjp-protest-turns-violent-over-50-security-personnel-injured-in-stone-pelting-2952416-2026-07-20 |website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Stone-Pelting & Scuffles: Cops Bleed As CJP Protest Turns Violent |url=https://www.republicworld.com/india/chaos-near-parliament-cjp-protest-turns-violent-leaves-cops-injured-2026-07-20-132909 |work=Republic}}</ref>
Delhi Police reported approximately 180 people injured, including 118 security and police personnel and around 60 protesters. Hospital records at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital noted dozens of medico-legal cases. CJP claimed higher protester injuries and alleged excessive force, including against women and minors. [[Gurdwara Bangla Sahib]] provided refuge to injured individuals.<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=India youth group says protest continue after Delhi clashes injure 180 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-youth-group-says-protest-continue-after-delhi-clashes-injure-180-2026-07-21/ |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Avinash Prabhakar and Bhaskar Hari Sharma|date=21 July 2026|title=CJP's Chalo Sansad March Turns Violent Prompting Police Action|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/cjps-chalo-sansad-march-turns-violent-prompting-police-action-1972600|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>
Delhi Police registered at least 10 FIRs across New Delhi district stations under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to obstruction of public servants, assault or criminal force against public servants, disobedience of orders, the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Allegations included stone-pelting, vandalism, flying a drone without permission, and conspiracy to incite violence. Over 250 videos were examined.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026 |title=Delhi Police registers 10 FIRs related to Cockroach Janta Party protests |url=https://thenewsmill.com/2026/07/delhi-police-registers-10-firs-related-to-cockroach-janta-party-protests/ |website=The News Mill}}</ref>
CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met Union Health Minister [[J. P. Nadda]] and raised demands including Wangchuk's release, Pradhan's resignation, and compensation for families of deceased NEET aspirants. CJP later claimed the government had agreed in principle to talks; this was not officially confirmed. On 21 July, protesters reclaimed and rebuilt the Jantar Mantar stage after it had been dismantled.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deshpande|first=Anagha|date=20 July 2026|title=Who called whom? JP Nadda, CJP leaders differ on how the talks happened|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-called-whom-jp-nadda-cjp-leaders-differ-on-how-the-talks-happened-101784553085407.html|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref>
Some publications alleged that the mobilisation followed patterns seen in earlier protests involving figures linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, and claimed presence of individuals associated with previous anti-CAA or other agitations, as well as foreign-funded NGOs or activists. These claims included references to funding networks involving Ford Foundation and George Soros, and the spotting of certain civil society figures at the site. Mainstream reporting focused primarily on the clashes and competing claims of responsibility for violence rather than confirming organised foreign or separatist infiltration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Explained: Cockroach Janta Party is setting the stage for violence with their 'Parliament march' |url=https://www.opindia.com/2026/07/cockroach-janta-party-parliament-march-setup-for-violence-sonam-wangchuk-abhijeet-dipke-delhi-riot-playbook-explained/ |website=OpIndia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2026 |title=Anti-India nexus of CJP... |url=https://organiser.org/2026/07/20/370758/bharat/anti-india-nexus-of-cjp-anjali-bharadwaj-shabana-azmi-funded-by-ford-soros-deep-state-spotted-at-delhi-protest/amp/ |website=Organiser}}</ref>

== Reactions ==
Opposition leaders expressed support for the protesters and for Wangchuk's hunger strike. [[Samajwadi Party]] president [[Akhilesh Yadav]] appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, describing his life as "invaluable", while backing the demand for greater accountability in the education system.<ref name="aljazeera2">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[Al Jazeera]]|agency=[[Reuters]]|language=en|archive-date=16 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Rahul Gandhi]] characterised Modi as India's most 'anti-youth Prime Minister'. "Tear-gassing students, lathi-charging students is not democratic...They have legitimate demands. The Prime Minister should accept these demands and do something about it," stated Gandhi. The Congress party condemned the police action against protesters attempting to march to Parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. Additionally, it emphasised that concerns regarding paper leaks had been raised by the party prior to the current agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |access-date=2026-07-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

On 28 June, [[Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)|NCP (SP)]] national spokesperson [[Anish Gawande]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and reiterated the demand for Pradhan's resignation. Gawande claimed that several opposition parties, including the [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]], the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]], and the NCP (SP), had extended support to the agitation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2026|title=CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Being forced to sit here in heat, wish govt had shown sensitivity, says Sonam Wangchuk|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]|language=en|archive-date=29 June 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260629014449/https://www.tribuneindia.com/live-blog/delhi/cjp-protest-in-delhi-live-wangchuk-to-begin-indefinite-hunger-strike-at-jantar-mantar/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 July, former Delhi Chief Minister [[Arvind Kejriwal]] joined the protest at Jantar Mantar, sought Pradhan's removal, and suggested that Wangchuk be made education minister.<ref name="toikejriwal2">{{Cite news |date=16 July 2026|title='Make Sonam Wangchuk education minister': Arvind Kejriwal joins Jantar Mantar protest, seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's ouster|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|access-date=17 July 2026|work=[[The Times of India]]|issn=0971-8257|archive-date=17 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260717054423/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-sonam-wangchuk-education-minister-arvind-kejriwal-joins-jantar-mantar-protest-seeks-dharmendra-pradhans-ouster/articleshow/132440920.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

During his hunger strike, Wangchuk said the movement had "no political colour" and described its demands as an appeal for accountability and reform in the education system rather than merely the resignation of the education minister.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026|title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|access-date=17 July 2026|website=[[The Indian Express]]|language=en|last=Dwivedi|first=Saurabh|archive-date=15 July 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260715090621/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Union government and the Ministry of Education did not immediately issue a formal response to the demands of the protesters or to Wangchuk's hunger strike.<ref name="aljazeera">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |access-date=17 July 2026 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=16 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260716205531/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/indian-activist-wangchuk-urged-to-end-hunger-strike-over-exam-paper-leaks |url-status=live }}</ref>

* CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with spokespersons Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and climate activist [[Sonam Wangchuk]]'s wife Gitanjali Angmo, continued a sit-in outside [[Kerala House, New Delhi|Kerala House]] after police had removed them from Jantar Mantar.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news |date=21 July 2026 |title=Centre blinks as CJP protest turns massive |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/21/centre-blinks-as-cjp-protest-turns-massive |access-date=2026-07-22 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
* [[Sonam Wangchuk]] wrote an open letter stating he would continue his fast in protest against the police action against demonstrators, on the 24th day of his hunger strike.<ref name="auto1"/>

The police action drew widespread criticism from public figures and several opposition leaders, including [[Shashi Tharoor]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], and [[Arvind Kejriwal]]. Tharoor questioned the use of force, asking, "When a non-violent protest is taking place, what is the reason for a lathi charge?".<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Parliament cannot be notice board: Tharoor hits out at Centre for denying debate on burning issues |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/20/parliament-cannot-be-notice-board-tharoor-hits-out-at-centre-for-denying-debate-on-burning-issues |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2026 |title=Students beaten, paper leak culprits roaming free: Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi 'most youth-hostile PM' |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-beaten-paper-leak-culprits-roaming-free-rahul-gandhi-calls-pm-modi-most-youth-hostile-pm-2952141-2026-07-20 |work=India Today}}</ref> On the other hand, MPs [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]] criticised the protests, questioning their objective.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=You cannot arm-twist government: Kangana Ranaut reacts to CJP protest |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/kangana-ranaut-slams-opposition-disruption-cjp-protest-lok-sabha-monsoon-session-arm-twist-government-2951981-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-20 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-07-20 |title=Hema Malini says ‘Protest karne se toh kuch kaam nahi hoga’, refuses to comment on Dharmendra Pradhan resignation demand amid CJP protests near Parliament |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/hema-malini-says-protest-karne-se-toh-kuch-kaam-nahi-hoga-refuses-to-comment-on-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-demand-amid-cjp-protests-near-parliament/articleshow/132519082.cms |access-date=2026-07-20 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Abhijeet Dipke's absence from the protest was also criticised. A protestor alleged that Dipke and the organisers were hiding behind, while students who had come out for the first time were left to face the police.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-07-20 |title=How Abhijeet Dipke pulls a Houdini, each time, every time |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/abhijeet-dipke-cjp-protest-key-moments-wangchuk-sansad-chalo-jp-nadda-demands-pradhan-2952032-2026-07-20 |access-date=2026-07-21 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Shobhit |date=July 21, 2026 |title=Internal Rift In CJP? Dissenter Alleges Women Were Pushed To Protest Frontlines By Abhijeet Dipke |url=https://www.news18.com/india/internal-rift-in-cjp-dissenter-alleges-women-were-pushed-to-protest-frontlines-by-abhijeet-dipke-ws-l-10225281.html |access-date=July 21, 2026 |website=[[News18]]}}</ref>

Opposition leaders including [[Rahul Gandhi]], [[Arvind Kejriwal]], [[Akhilesh Yadav]] and others expressed support for the protesters' demands and criticised police action. Gandhi described Modi as the most anti-youth Prime Minister and condemned the use of force. Some BJP leaders and MPs, including [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Hema Malini]], questioned the protests' objectives and methods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phukan |first=Sandeep |date=2026-07-20 |title=Modi is India's most 'anti-youth PM', says Rahul Gandhi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-calls-narendra-modi-most-anti-youth-pm-in-indias-history/article71245456.ece |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
Wangchuk maintained that the movement had no political colour and focused on accountability in the education system. The Union government did not issue an immediate formal response to the core demands.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2026 |title=Sonam Wangchuk to Express: CJP protest has no political colour, PM should be sensitive |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sonam-wangchuk-interview-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education-neet-10785080/ |website=[[The Indian Express]] |last=Dwivedi |first=Saurabh}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]
* [[2026 NEET controversy]]
* [[2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy]]
* [[Cockroach Janta Party]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[List of Indian student organisations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=India |portal2=Politics}}

[[Category:2026 in Indian politics]]
[[Category:2026 in New Delhi]]
[[Category:2026 protests]]
[[Category:Gen Z protests in Asia]]
[[Category:July 2026 in India]]
[[Category:June 2026 in India]]
[[Category:Protests against the premiership of Narendra Modi]]
[[Category:Protests in India]]
[[Category:Student protests in India]]
[[Category:Protest marches in India]]

Abhijeet Dipke

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Abhijeet Dipke

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File:Abhijeet Dipke with Manish Sisodia.jpg

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Abhijeet Dipke

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Jaswant Singh Khalra

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{{Short description|Indian human rights activist and political essayist (1952–1995)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jaswant Singh Khalra
| image = Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg
| caption = Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = [[Khalra]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_place = [[Chabhal Kalan]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|1952}}
| death_cause = [[Extrajudicial execution]]
| occupation = [[Human rights activist]], General Secretary of Human Rights Wing of [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], Political essayist
| spouse = Paramjit Kaur Khalra
}}

'''Jaswant Singh Khalra''' (1952–1995)<ref name="amnesty1995">{{Cite news |date=6 September 1995 |title=India: Fear of disappearance / fear of torture: Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/026/1995/en/ |work=Amnesty International}}</ref> was an Indian bank director, human rights activist, and political essayist. He gained international recognition after uncovering evidence of thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal cremations carried out by the Punjab Police during the counter-insurgency operations in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="amnesty1998">{{Cite web |date=31 March 1998 |title=India: A Mockery of Justice: The case concerning the “disappearance” of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra severely undermined |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/007/1998/en/ |website=Amnesty International |publisher=Amnesty International |language=en |access-date=2026-07-12}}</ref>

Alongside his documentation of human rights abuses, contemporary archives, intelligence narratives, and political records outline Khalra's ideological alignment with the [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan separatist movement]], his public defense of militant figures, and accusations from state authorities regarding anti-national activities aimed at challenging Indian sovereignty.<ref name="baaz2026">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baaznews.org/p/khalra-game-of-elections-khalistan |title=The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not? |website=www.baaznews.org |access-date=2026-07-10}}</ref> He was abducted from outside his home in [[Amritsar]] on 6 September 1995 and was subsequently murdered in police custody, culminating in the conviction and life imprisonment of six [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] officials.<ref name="sc2011" />

== Political background ==

Jaswant Singh Khalra's political beliefs evolved considerably over the course of his public life and have been interpreted differently by historians, journalists, and political commentators. While he became internationally known for documenting alleged human rights violations committed during the Punjab counter-insurgency, his earlier political activities, ideological writings, and later advocacy concerning Sikh self-determination have also formed part of scholarly discussion regarding his legacy.<ref name="jaijee">Politics of genocide: Punjab, 1984-1998, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, p.101, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, 1999</ref><ref name="baaz2026"/>

During his youth, Khalra reportedly participated in left-wing student activism and was associated with organisations influenced by Marxist and socialist thought, including the Naujawan Bharat Sabha. Several writers have described this period as one in which he was primarily influenced by secular class-based politics rather than Sikh nationalist ideology. His political outlook, however, changed substantially following the political unrest of the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly the events surrounding [[Operation Blue Star]], the [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]], and the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]], after which his public activities became increasingly centred on Sikh political and human rights issues.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Ishtiaq |title=The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2012}}</ref><ref name="jaijee"/>

Khalra subsequently became associated with the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], serving as General Secretary of its Human Rights Wing. In this capacity he investigated allegations of enforced disappearances, custodial killings and illegal cremations while simultaneously contributing essays and political commentary addressing the constitutional status of Punjab, Sikh political aspirations and the conduct of the Indian state during the insurgency.<ref name="amnesty1998"/><ref name="baaz2026"/>

Historians have differed in their assessment of the relationship between Khalra's human rights advocacy and his political ideology. Some portray him primarily as a human rights defender whose investigations exposed unlawful state practices, whereas others argue that his political writings demonstrate broader support for Sikh nationalist objectives extending beyond human rights documentation. These differing interpretations continue to shape academic and public debate surrounding his legacy.<ref name="jaijee"/><ref name="baaz2026"/>

== Activism and Cremation Investigations ==
{{Further|Human rights abuses in Punjab, India}}
Jaswant Singh Khalra served as the director of a cooperative bank in the city of [[Amritsar]] during the militancy period in Punjab. Following [[Operation Blue Star]], the [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]], and the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]], security forces were granted sweeping emergency powers to counter armed separatism. The police were subsequently accused of killing unarmed suspects in staged shootouts and burning thousands of unidentified bodies to cover up custodial deaths.<ref name="huffpost2018">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Harman |date=11 September 2018 |title=Every Canadian Should Know The Tale Of This Murdered Sikh Activist |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/jaswant-singh-khalra-canada_ca_5cd56686e4b07bc72977c213 |work=Huff Post}}</ref>

While searching for colleagues who went missing, Khalra discovered files from the municipal corporation of Amritsar containing the names, ages, and addresses of individuals who had been secretly cremated by the police.<ref name="huffpost2018"/> His investigation asserted that approximately 25,000 Sikhs had been illegally killed and cremated by the state across multiple districts.<ref name="ahmed">The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia, p. 74, Taylor & Francis, by Ishtiaq Ahmed.</ref>

The [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) and the [[Supreme Court of India]] subsequently verified the data in part, concluding that the police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in [[Tarn Taran district]] alone.<ref name="ahmed"/> The [[National Human Rights Commission of India]] also certified the validity of the identified bodies cremated within the police districts of Amritsar, [[Majitha]], and Tarn Taran between June 1984 and December 1994.

== Khalistani Alignment and Separatist Ideology ==
Beyond his investigations into alleged human rights violations, Khalra also wrote extensively on Sikh political issues during the insurgency. Several of his essays discussed Sikh self-determination, the constitutional relationship between Punjab and the Indian Union, and the legitimacy of state institutions operating in Punjab during the period of militancy. His political writings have subsequently become an important source for historians examining the evolution of his ideological views.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

Among his best-known political essays was ''The Game Of Elections – Should It Be Played Or Not?'', published in February 1992 in ''Liberation Khalistan'', a publication associated with the Khalistan movement.<ref name="baaz2026"/> In the article, Khalra argued that participation in elections organised by the Indian state would legitimise what he characterised as continued political repression in Punjab. He instead urged Sikhs to reject electoral participation until questions relating to political autonomy and justice had been addressed.

Khalra's writings frequently contrasted the constitutional framework of the Indian state with his interpretation of Sikh political aspirations. He argued that the Punjab conflict should not be viewed solely through the lens of law and order but also as a political dispute concerning Sikh identity, representation and self-determination. Supporters have described these writings as expressions of political dissent protected under democratic principles, whereas critics have argued that they reflected ideological support for the separatist objectives of the Khalistan movement.<ref name="jaijee"/><ref name="baaz2026"/>

=== Support for Militancy and Bhindranwale ===
Several published accounts describe Khalra as expressing admiration for [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]], whom he regarded as a significant figure in modern Sikh political history. In his writings and speeches, Khalra rejected descriptions of Bhindranwale as a terrorist, instead portraying him as a religious and political leader whose movement emerged in response to state policies during the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

This interpretation has remained controversial. Critics have argued that Khalra's public defence of Bhindranwale reflected ideological sympathy for the broader Khalistan movement, while supporters contend that his position should be understood within the wider political context of the Punjab insurgency and did not, by itself, establish participation in or endorsement of acts of violence committed by militant organisations.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Anti-State Essays and Electoral Boycott ===
Khalra openly rejected the constitutional authority of the secular Indian government in Punjab. His political philosophy was explicitly outlined in his essay, ''"The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not?"'', which was originally published in February 1992 in the separatist organ ''Liberation Khalistan''.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

In the essay, Khalra vehemently argued against public participation in the state assembly elections organized by the central government, characterizing the democratic process as an illegitimate ruse by an occupying power. He asserted:
{{Quote|text=The state organizes these elections not to grant freedom, but to drape its tyranny in the garb of democracy. Participating in this game only strengthens the chains of the Indian state over the Sikh nation.|sign=Jaswant Singh Khalra, February 1992|source=''Liberation Khalistan''}}

Intelligence agencies and state officials frequently pointed to these public declarations and his active ties to separatist factions to argue that his human rights apparatus was heavily leveraged to provide ideological cover and propaganda support to active terrorist groups.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Alleged links with militant organisations ===

Throughout the 1990s, Punjab Police and other security agencies alleged that Khalra maintained links with individuals associated with Khalistan militant organisations. These allegations were cited by authorities in support of claims that his human rights activities also served broader separatist objectives.<ref name="jaijee"/>

Human rights organisations, civil liberties groups and several later commentators have disputed these allegations, arguing that they were never established through judicial findings and were frequently advanced during the period in which Khalra was documenting alleged enforced disappearances and unlawful cremations. Following his abduction and murder, the subsequent criminal proceedings against the convicted police officers centred on his unlawful detention and killing rather than on allegations concerning militant activities or membership of any banned organisation.<ref name="amnesty1998"/><ref name="sc2011"/>

== Murder and Judicial Proceedings ==
On 6 September 1995, Khalra was abducted from outside his house in Amritsar by personnel of the Punjab Police and taken to the Jhabal Police Station.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> Although witnesses gave statements implicating the police and named Director General of Police [[Kanwar Pal Singh Gill]] as a co-conspirator,<ref>{{cite web|title=K.P.S. Gill visited Khalra in jail, says witness|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050217/punjab1.htm|date=17 February 2005|publisher=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India}}</ref> authorities initially denied detaining him, suggesting he had gone underground or fled the country.

In 1996, the CBI uncovered formal evidence that Khalra had been held illegally, tortured, and subsequently murdered in custody. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine officials.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> On 18 November 2005, six Punjab police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder, with Deputy Superintendent Jaspal Singh and Amarjit Singh receiving life sentences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|title=Punjab Cops Convicted of 1995 Murder of Activist Khalra|publisher=Ensaaf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123135906/http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|archive-date=23 November 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 October 2007, the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] extended the life imprisonment sentences to the remaining four accused police officers: Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh, and Prithipal Singh.<ref>{{cite web|date=16 October 2007 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Khalra-murder-case-HC-grants-life-imprisonment-to-4-cops/articleshow/2464188.cms |title=Khalra murder case: HC grants life imprisonment to 4 cops |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

On 11 April 2011, the Supreme Court of India dismissed the final appeals of the convicted officers in ''Prithpal Singh v. State of Punjab'', scathingly criticizing the lawless atrocities committed by the police during the counter-insurgency era, while affirming that the ideological leanings of a citizen did not absolve the state of extrajudicial murder.<ref name="sc2011">{{cite news|title=Activist Khalra custodial death: SC upholds life in jail for Punjab cops|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=5 November 2011 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-upholds-life-term-for-Punjab-cops/articleshow/10613312.cms}}</ref>

== Complex Legacy and Media ==
Khalra's legacy remains deeply polarized within political and historical discourse:
* Sikh Diaspora and Activists: Revered widely as a martyr (''Shaheed''). The [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) and other religious institutions regularly hold annual ''shaheedi samagams'' in his memory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 September 2020 |title=Akal Takht pays tribute to activist Jaswant Singh Khalra |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/akal-takht-pays-tribute-to-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-137491/ |work=The Tribune}}</ref> In international spaces, such as Fresno, California, public infrastructure has been dedicated in his name, comparing his civil investigations to Western civil rights movements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/california-city-renames-park-after-sikh-human-rights-advocate-n799261|title=California city names park after Sikh human rights advocate|website=NBC News|date=6 September 2017}}</ref>
* Nationalist and Security Analysts: Viewed as an ideological operative who utilized human rights campaigns to obscure his deep-seated alignment with violent Khalistani terrorists, subvert secular democratic institutions, and promote an anti-national, theocratic agenda against the Indian state.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Biographical Film ===
{{main|Satluj (film)}}
In July 2026, the biographical drama ''[[Satluj (film)|Satluj]]'' (initially titled ''Ghalughara'' and later ''Punjab '95''), starring [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as Khalra, was released globally on the streaming service [[ZEE5]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2026-07-03 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj,’ Formerly ‘Punjab ’95’ That Was Pulled From Toronto, Streams Uncut on ZEE5 Global |url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-punjab-95-uncut-zee5-global-1236801418/ |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The film's release had been delayed for years due to intense scrutiny from the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC), which initially demanded 127 cuts to mitigate the polarization surrounding its portrayal of the sensitive political environment and anti-insurgency operations of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yasmin |first=Shahana |date=7 July 2026 |title=Why a Diljit Dosanjh film released after a four-year battle with censors was gone within two days |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-removed-streaming-zee5-cbfc-censorship-b3009719.html |work=The Independent}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Timeline of the insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008060430/http://www.ensaaf.org/pdf/reduced/chapter1-vol1.pdf Detailed biography of Jaswant Singh Khalra] (PDF) from ''Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab'' by Ram Narayan Kumar et al.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalra, Jaswant Singh}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1995 murders in India]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Activists from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Deaths in police custody in India]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:Insurgency in Punjab]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in India]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement]]

Jaswant Singh Khalra

2026-07-18T17:13:38Z

BellaCH: Main page link to film

{{Short description|Indian human rights activist and political essayist (1952–1995)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jaswant Singh Khalra
| image = Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg
| caption = Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = [[Khalra]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_place = [[Chabhal Kalan]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|1952}}
| death_cause = [[Extrajudicial execution]]
| occupation = [[Human rights activist]], General Secretary of Human Rights Wing of [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], Political essayist
| spouse = Paramjit Kaur Khalra
}}

'''Jaswant Singh Khalra''' (1952–1995)<ref name="amnesty1995">{{Cite news |date=6 September 1995 |title=India: Fear of disappearance / fear of torture: Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/026/1995/en/ |work=Amnesty International}}</ref> was an Indian bank director, human rights activist, and political essayist. He gained international recognition after uncovering evidence of thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal cremations carried out by the Punjab Police during the counter-insurgency operations in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="amnesty1998">{{Cite web |date=31 March 1998 |title=India: A Mockery of Justice: The case concerning the “disappearance” of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra severely undermined |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/007/1998/en/ |website=Amnesty International |publisher=Amnesty International |language=en |access-date=2026-07-12}}</ref>

Alongside his documentation of human rights abuses, contemporary archives, intelligence narratives, and political records outline Khalra's ideological alignment with the [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan separatist movement]], his public defense of militant figures, and accusations from state authorities regarding anti-national activities aimed at challenging Indian sovereignty.<ref name="baaz2026">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baaznews.org/p/khalra-game-of-elections-khalistan |title=The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not? |website=www.baaznews.org |access-date=2026-07-10}}</ref> He was abducted from outside his home in [[Amritsar]] on 6 September 1995 and was subsequently murdered in police custody, culminating in the conviction and life imprisonment of six [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] officials.<ref name="sc2011" />

== Activism and Cremation Investigations ==
{{Further|Human rights abuses in Punjab, India}}
Jaswant Singh Khalra served as the director of a cooperative bank in the city of [[Amritsar]] during the militancy period in Punjab. Following [[Operation Blue Star]], the [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]], and the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]], security forces were granted sweeping emergency powers to counter armed separatism. The police were subsequently accused of killing unarmed suspects in staged shootouts and burning thousands of unidentified bodies to cover up custodial deaths.<ref name="huffpost2018">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Harman |date=11 September 2018 |title=Every Canadian Should Know The Tale Of This Murdered Sikh Activist |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/jaswant-singh-khalra-canada_ca_5cd56686e4b07bc72977c213 |work=Huff Post}}</ref>

While searching for colleagues who went missing, Khalra discovered files from the municipal corporation of Amritsar containing the names, ages, and addresses of individuals who had been secretly cremated by the police.<ref name="huffpost2018"/> His investigation asserted that approximately 25,000 Sikhs had been illegally killed and cremated by the state across multiple districts.<ref name="ahmed">The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia, p. 74, Taylor & Francis, by Ishtiaq Ahmed.</ref>

The [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) and the [[Supreme Court of India]] subsequently verified the data in part, concluding that the police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in [[Tarn Taran district]] alone.<ref name="ahmed"/> The [[National Human Rights Commission of India]] also certified the validity of the identified bodies cremated within the police districts of Amritsar, [[Majitha]], and Tarn Taran between June 1984 and December 1994.

== Khalistani Alignment and Separatist Ideology ==
Parallel to his investigations into state excesses, historical records and political texts detail Khalra’s close relationship with the ideological frameworks of the Khalistan movement. State authorities and nationalist critics classified his platforms and publications as subversive, anti-national claims designed to delegitimize the territorial integrity of the Indian union.<ref name="jaijee">Politics of genocide: Punjab, 1984-1998, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, p.101, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, 1999</ref>

=== Support for Militancy and Bhindranwale ===
In his public rhetoric and political mobilization, Khalra maintained a distinct ideological affinity for [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] and the foundational ethos of the armed resistance initiated during the early phases of the insurgency. Following the military entry into the [[Golden Temple]] complex in 1984, Khalra frequently valorized those who took up arms against the state, portraying the militancy not as terrorism, but as a legitimate response to state-sponsored repression and a necessary struggle for a sovereign, theocratic Sikh homeland.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

=== Anti-State Essays and Electoral Boycott ===
Khalra openly rejected the constitutional authority of the secular Indian government in Punjab. His political philosophy was explicitly outlined in his essay, ''"The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not?"'', which was originally published in February 1992 in the separatist organ ''Liberation Khalistan''.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

In the essay, Khalra vehemently argued against public participation in the state assembly elections organized by the central government, characterizing the democratic process as an illegitimate ruse by an occupying power. He asserted:
{{Quote|text=The state organizes these elections not to grant freedom, but to drape its tyranny in the garb of democracy. Participating in this game only strengthens the chains of the Indian state over the Sikh nation.|sign=Jaswant Singh Khalra, February 1992|source=''Liberation Khalistan''}}

Intelligence agencies and state officials frequently pointed to these public declarations and his active ties to separatist factions to argue that his human rights apparatus was heavily leveraged to provide ideological cover and propaganda support to active terrorist groups.<ref name="jaijee"/>

== Murder and Judicial Proceedings ==
On 6 September 1995, Khalra was abducted from outside his house in Amritsar by personnel of the Punjab Police and taken to the Jhabal Police Station.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> Although witnesses gave statements implicating the police and named Director General of Police [[Kanwar Pal Singh Gill]] as a co-conspirator,<ref>{{cite web|title=K.P.S. Gill visited Khalra in jail, says witness|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050217/punjab1.htm|date=17 February 2005|publisher=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India}}</ref> authorities initially denied detaining him, suggesting he had gone underground or fled the country.

In 1996, the CBI uncovered formal evidence that Khalra had been held illegally, tortured, and subsequently murdered in custody. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine officials.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> On 18 November 2005, six Punjab police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder, with Deputy Superintendent Jaspal Singh and Amarjit Singh receiving life sentences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|title=Punjab Cops Convicted of 1995 Murder of Activist Khalra|publisher=Ensaaf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123135906/http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|archive-date=23 November 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 October 2007, the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] extended the life imprisonment sentences to the remaining four accused police officers: Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh, and Prithipal Singh.<ref>{{cite web|date=16 October 2007 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Khalra-murder-case-HC-grants-life-imprisonment-to-4-cops/articleshow/2464188.cms |title=Khalra murder case: HC grants life imprisonment to 4 cops |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

On 11 April 2011, the Supreme Court of India dismissed the final appeals of the convicted officers in ''Prithpal Singh v. State of Punjab'', scathingly criticizing the lawless atrocities committed by the police during the counter-insurgency era, while affirming that the ideological leanings of a citizen did not absolve the state of extrajudicial murder.<ref name="sc2011">{{cite news|title=Activist Khalra custodial death: SC upholds life in jail for Punjab cops|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=5 November 2011 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-upholds-life-term-for-Punjab-cops/articleshow/10613312.cms}}</ref>

== Complex Legacy and Media ==
Khalra's legacy remains deeply polarized within political and historical discourse:
* Sikh Diaspora and Activists: Revered widely as a martyr (''Shaheed''). The [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) and other religious institutions regularly hold annual ''shaheedi samagams'' in his memory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 September 2020 |title=Akal Takht pays tribute to activist Jaswant Singh Khalra |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/akal-takht-pays-tribute-to-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-137491/ |work=The Tribune}}</ref> In international spaces, such as Fresno, California, public infrastructure has been dedicated in his name, comparing his civil investigations to Western civil rights movements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/california-city-renames-park-after-sikh-human-rights-advocate-n799261|title=California city names park after Sikh human rights advocate|website=NBC News|date=6 September 2017}}</ref>
* Nationalist and Security Analysts: Viewed as an ideological operative who utilized human rights campaigns to obscure his deep-seated alignment with violent Khalistani terrorists, subvert secular democratic institutions, and promote an anti-national, theocratic agenda against the Indian state.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Biographical Film ===
{{main|Satluj (film)}}
In July 2026, the biographical drama ''[[Satluj (film)|Satluj]]'' (initially titled ''Ghalughara'' and later ''Punjab '95''), starring [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as Khalra, was released globally on the streaming service [[ZEE5]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2026-07-03 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj,’ Formerly ‘Punjab ’95’ That Was Pulled From Toronto, Streams Uncut on ZEE5 Global |url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-punjab-95-uncut-zee5-global-1236801418/ |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The film's release had been delayed for years due to intense scrutiny from the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC), which initially demanded 127 cuts to mitigate the polarization surrounding its portrayal of the sensitive political environment and anti-insurgency operations of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yasmin |first=Shahana |date=7 July 2026 |title=Why a Diljit Dosanjh film released after a four-year battle with censors was gone within two days |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-removed-streaming-zee5-cbfc-censorship-b3009719.html |work=The Independent}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Timeline of the insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008060430/http://www.ensaaf.org/pdf/reduced/chapter1-vol1.pdf Detailed biography of Jaswant Singh Khalra] (PDF) from ''Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab'' by Ram Narayan Kumar et al.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalra, Jaswant Singh}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1995 murders in India]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Activists from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Deaths in police custody in India]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:Insurgency in Punjab]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in India]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement]]

Jaswant Singh Khalra

2026-07-18T17:12:56Z

BellaCH: Correct caption

{{Short description|Indian human rights activist and political essayist (1952–1995)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jaswant Singh Khalra
| image = Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg
| caption = Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = [[Khalra]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_place = [[Chabhal Kalan]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|1952}}
| death_cause = [[Extrajudicial execution]]
| occupation = [[Human rights activist]], General Secretary of Human Rights Wing of [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], Political essayist
| spouse = Paramjit Kaur Khalra
}}

'''Jaswant Singh Khalra''' (1952–1995)<ref name="amnesty1995">{{Cite news |date=6 September 1995 |title=India: Fear of disappearance / fear of torture: Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/026/1995/en/ |work=Amnesty International}}</ref> was an Indian bank director, human rights activist, and political essayist. He gained international recognition after uncovering evidence of thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal cremations carried out by the Punjab Police during the counter-insurgency operations in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="amnesty1998">{{Cite web |date=31 March 1998 |title=India: A Mockery of Justice: The case concerning the “disappearance” of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra severely undermined |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/007/1998/en/ |website=Amnesty International |publisher=Amnesty International |language=en |access-date=2026-07-12}}</ref>

Alongside his documentation of human rights abuses, contemporary archives, intelligence narratives, and political records outline Khalra's ideological alignment with the [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan separatist movement]], his public defense of militant figures, and accusations from state authorities regarding anti-national activities aimed at challenging Indian sovereignty.<ref name="baaz2026">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baaznews.org/p/khalra-game-of-elections-khalistan |title=The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not? |website=www.baaznews.org |access-date=2026-07-10}}</ref> He was abducted from outside his home in [[Amritsar]] on 6 September 1995 and was subsequently murdered in police custody, culminating in the conviction and life imprisonment of six [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] officials.<ref name="sc2011" />

== Activism and Cremation Investigations ==
{{Further|Human rights abuses in Punjab, India}}
Jaswant Singh Khalra served as the director of a cooperative bank in the city of [[Amritsar]] during the militancy period in Punjab. Following [[Operation Blue Star]], the [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]], and the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]], security forces were granted sweeping emergency powers to counter armed separatism. The police were subsequently accused of killing unarmed suspects in staged shootouts and burning thousands of unidentified bodies to cover up custodial deaths.<ref name="huffpost2018">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Harman |date=11 September 2018 |title=Every Canadian Should Know The Tale Of This Murdered Sikh Activist |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/jaswant-singh-khalra-canada_ca_5cd56686e4b07bc72977c213 |work=Huff Post}}</ref>

While searching for colleagues who went missing, Khalra discovered files from the municipal corporation of Amritsar containing the names, ages, and addresses of individuals who had been secretly cremated by the police.<ref name="huffpost2018"/> His investigation asserted that approximately 25,000 Sikhs had been illegally killed and cremated by the state across multiple districts.<ref name="ahmed">The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia, p. 74, Taylor & Francis, by Ishtiaq Ahmed.</ref>

The [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) and the [[Supreme Court of India]] subsequently verified the data in part, concluding that the police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in [[Tarn Taran district]] alone.<ref name="ahmed"/> The [[National Human Rights Commission of India]] also certified the validity of the identified bodies cremated within the police districts of Amritsar, [[Majitha]], and Tarn Taran between June 1984 and December 1994.

== Khalistani Alignment and Separatist Ideology ==
Parallel to his investigations into state excesses, historical records and political texts detail Khalra’s close relationship with the ideological frameworks of the Khalistan movement. State authorities and nationalist critics classified his platforms and publications as subversive, anti-national claims designed to delegitimize the territorial integrity of the Indian union.<ref name="jaijee">Politics of genocide: Punjab, 1984-1998, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, p.101, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, 1999</ref>

=== Support for Militancy and Bhindranwale ===
In his public rhetoric and political mobilization, Khalra maintained a distinct ideological affinity for [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] and the foundational ethos of the armed resistance initiated during the early phases of the insurgency. Following the military entry into the [[Golden Temple]] complex in 1984, Khalra frequently valorized those who took up arms against the state, portraying the militancy not as terrorism, but as a legitimate response to state-sponsored repression and a necessary struggle for a sovereign, theocratic Sikh homeland.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

=== Anti-State Essays and Electoral Boycott ===
Khalra openly rejected the constitutional authority of the secular Indian government in Punjab. His political philosophy was explicitly outlined in his essay, ''"The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not?"'', which was originally published in February 1992 in the separatist organ ''Liberation Khalistan''.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

In the essay, Khalra vehemently argued against public participation in the state assembly elections organized by the central government, characterizing the democratic process as an illegitimate ruse by an occupying power. He asserted:
{{Quote|text=The state organizes these elections not to grant freedom, but to drape its tyranny in the garb of democracy. Participating in this game only strengthens the chains of the Indian state over the Sikh nation.|sign=Jaswant Singh Khalra, February 1992|source=''Liberation Khalistan''}}

Intelligence agencies and state officials frequently pointed to these public declarations and his active ties to separatist factions to argue that his human rights apparatus was heavily leveraged to provide ideological cover and propaganda support to active terrorist groups.<ref name="jaijee"/>

== Murder and Judicial Proceedings ==
On 6 September 1995, Khalra was abducted from outside his house in Amritsar by personnel of the Punjab Police and taken to the Jhabal Police Station.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> Although witnesses gave statements implicating the police and named Director General of Police [[Kanwar Pal Singh Gill]] as a co-conspirator,<ref>{{cite web|title=K.P.S. Gill visited Khalra in jail, says witness|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050217/punjab1.htm|date=17 February 2005|publisher=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India}}</ref> authorities initially denied detaining him, suggesting he had gone underground or fled the country.

In 1996, the CBI uncovered formal evidence that Khalra had been held illegally, tortured, and subsequently murdered in custody. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine officials.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> On 18 November 2005, six Punjab police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder, with Deputy Superintendent Jaspal Singh and Amarjit Singh receiving life sentences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|title=Punjab Cops Convicted of 1995 Murder of Activist Khalra|publisher=Ensaaf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123135906/http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|archive-date=23 November 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 October 2007, the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] extended the life imprisonment sentences to the remaining four accused police officers: Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh, and Prithipal Singh.<ref>{{cite web|date=16 October 2007 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Khalra-murder-case-HC-grants-life-imprisonment-to-4-cops/articleshow/2464188.cms |title=Khalra murder case: HC grants life imprisonment to 4 cops |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

On 11 April 2011, the Supreme Court of India dismissed the final appeals of the convicted officers in ''Prithpal Singh v. State of Punjab'', scathingly criticizing the lawless atrocities committed by the police during the counter-insurgency era, while affirming that the ideological leanings of a citizen did not absolve the state of extrajudicial murder.<ref name="sc2011">{{cite news|title=Activist Khalra custodial death: SC upholds life in jail for Punjab cops|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=5 November 2011 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-upholds-life-term-for-Punjab-cops/articleshow/10613312.cms}}</ref>

== Complex Legacy and Media ==
Khalra's legacy remains deeply polarized within political and historical discourse:
* Sikh Diaspora and Activists: Revered widely as a martyr (''Shaheed''). The [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) and other religious institutions regularly hold annual ''shaheedi samagams'' in his memory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 September 2020 |title=Akal Takht pays tribute to activist Jaswant Singh Khalra |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/akal-takht-pays-tribute-to-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-137491/ |work=The Tribune}}</ref> In international spaces, such as Fresno, California, public infrastructure has been dedicated in his name, comparing his civil investigations to Western civil rights movements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/california-city-renames-park-after-sikh-human-rights-advocate-n799261|title=California city names park after Sikh human rights advocate|website=NBC News|date=6 September 2017}}</ref>
* Nationalist and Security Analysts: Viewed as an ideological operative who utilized human rights campaigns to obscure his deep-seated alignment with violent Khalistani terrorists, subvert secular democratic institutions, and promote an anti-national, theocratic agenda against the Indian state.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Biographical Film ===
In July 2026, the biographical drama ''[[Satluj (film)|Satluj]]'' (initially titled ''Ghalughara'' and later ''Punjab '95''), starring [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as Khalra, was released globally on the streaming service [[ZEE5]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2026-07-03 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj,’ Formerly ‘Punjab ’95’ That Was Pulled From Toronto, Streams Uncut on ZEE5 Global |url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-punjab-95-uncut-zee5-global-1236801418/ |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The film's release had been delayed for years due to intense scrutiny from the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC), which initially demanded 127 cuts to mitigate the polarization surrounding its portrayal of the sensitive political environment and anti-insurgency operations of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yasmin |first=Shahana |date=7 July 2026 |title=Why a Diljit Dosanjh film released after a four-year battle with censors was gone within two days |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-removed-streaming-zee5-cbfc-censorship-b3009719.html |work=The Independent}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Timeline of the insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008060430/http://www.ensaaf.org/pdf/reduced/chapter1-vol1.pdf Detailed biography of Jaswant Singh Khalra] (PDF) from ''Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab'' by Ram Narayan Kumar et al.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalra, Jaswant Singh}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1995 murders in India]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Activists from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Deaths in police custody in India]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:Insurgency in Punjab]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in India]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement]]

Satluj (film)

2026-07-18T17:12:09Z

BellaCH: Add film page

{{for|the river|Sutlej}}
{{Short description|2026 Indian film by Honey Trehan}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}

{{Infobox film
| name = Satluj
| image = Satluj (2026 film).jpg
| caption = Official release poster
| director = Honey Trehan
| writer = {{plainlist|
* Honey Trehan
* [[Niren Bhatt]]
* Utsav Maitra}}
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1 = Dialogues by
| data1 = Honey Trehan{{br}}[[Niren Bhatt]]
}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
* [[Ronnie Screwvala]]
* [[Abhishek Chaubey]]
* Honey Trehan}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Diljit Dosanjh]]
* [[Arjun Rampal]]
* [[Kanwaljit Singh (actor)|Kanwaljit Singh]]
* [[Suvinder Vicky]]
* [[Geetika Vidya Ohlyan]]
* [[Rahul Mittra]]
}}
| narrator = [[Arjun Rampal]]
| cinematography = [[K. U. Mohanan]]
| editing = [[A. Sreekar Prasad]]
| music = Marc Marder
| studio = {{plainlist|
* [[RSVP Movies]]
* MacGuffin Pictures}}
| distributor = [[ZEE5]]
| released = {{Film date|2026|07|03|df=y}}
| runtime = 164 minutes<ref name="TH"/>
| country = India
| language = {{plainlist|
* Hindi
* Punjabi}}
| budget = {{USD}}4.5 million<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mashal |first1=Mujib |last2=K. B. |first2=Pragati |date=9 July 2026 |title=Why India Has Spent Years Blocking One Movie’s Release |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/world/asia/india-film-censorship-sajlut-diljit.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New Delhi |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=9 July 2026 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
}}

'''''Satluj''''' is a 2026 Indian [[biographical film|biographical]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by Honey Trehan and produced by [[Ronnie Screwvala]], [[Abhishek Chaubey]], and Trehan under the banners of [[RSVP Movies]] and MacGuffin Pictures. Inspired by the life of [[Human rights defender|human rights activist]] [[Jaswant Singh Khalra]], the film was written by Trehan in collaboration with [[Niren Bhatt]] and Utsav Maitra.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=5 July 2026 |title=Who Was Jaswant Singh Khalra? Meet The Sikh Rights Activist Who Inspired Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/who-was-jaswant-singh-khalra-the-human-rights-activist-behind-diljit-dosanjhs-satluj-11728689 |website=NDTV}}</ref><ref name="variety">{{cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |title=Diljit Dosanjh Film 'Satluj' Streams Uncut on ZEE5 Global |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=3 July 2026 |url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-punjab-95-uncut-zee5-global-1236801418/ |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref> The principal cast includes [[Diljit Dosanjh]], [[Arjun Rampal]], [[Kanwaljit Singh (actor)|Kanwaljit Singh]], [[Suvinder Vicky]], and [[Geetika Vidya Ohlyan]].<ref name="variety" /><ref name="scroll">{{cite news |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |title='Satluj' review: A harrowing, heart-rending tale of impunity and courage |work=[[Scroll.in]] |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1094035/satluj-review-a-harrowing-heart-rending-tale-of-impunity-and-courage |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Set against the backdrop of the [[Insurgency in Punjab, India|Punjab insurgency]] during the early 1990s, the narrative centres on Khalra's efforts to document allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings linked to the Punjab Police.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=3 July 2026 |title=After 3-year censorship battle, Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab 95 hits OTT ‘uncut’ under new title |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/diljit-dosanjh-long-delayed-film-punjab-95-finally-releases-uncut-on-zee5-as-satluj-10770141 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref name="hungama-review">{{cite web |title=Movie Review: SATLUJ Brings a Deeply Disturbing True Story with Diljit Dosanjh's Marvellous Act |website=Bollywood Hungama |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/satluj/critic-review/satluj-movie-review/satluj-brings-a-deeply-disturbing-true-story-to-the-screen/ |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Originally developed under the title ''[[Ghallughara (Sikhism)|Ghallughara]]'', and later renamed ''Punjab 95'', the film was initially intended for release in 2023. However, certification disputes with the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC), which required extensive modifications before granting approval, resulted in the cancellation of its planned theatrical release. After remaining unreleased for approximately three years, the film premiered digitally on [[ZEE5]] on 3 July 2026 under its final title, ''Satluj''. It received largely favourable reviews from critics and audiences following its debut.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sutluj X Review: Diljit Dosanjh Delivers 'Career Worst' Performance In 'Meaningful, Powerful' Film |url=https://www.news18.com/amp/movies/bollywood/sutluj-x-review-diljit-dosanjh-delivers-career-best-performance-in-meaningful-powerful-film-ws-l-10190513.html |website=News18 |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Diljit Dosanjh reveals voice of Jaswant Singh Khalra was silenced twice as Satluj releases |url=https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/bollywood/honey-trehan-punjab-95-release-zee5-satluj-diljit-dosanjh-article-154944248 |website=Zoom |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="indiatv"/>

The film was removed from ZEE5's Indian catalogue approximately two days after its release.<ref name="Dey2026">{{cite news |last1=Dey |first1=Abhishek |title=Diljit Dosanjh: Why Satluj was taken off streaming two days after release |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly99z1w4gdo |access-date=7 July 2026 |work=www.bbc.com |publisher=BBC |date=6 July 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260707105506/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly99z1w4gdo |archive-date=7 July 2026}}</ref> It was subsequently withdrawn from the platform's international catalogue as well.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=11 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh's 'Satluj' faces another blow; Honey Trehan directorial removed from ZEE5's international catalogue - Reports |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/diljit-dosanjhs-satluj-faces-another-blow-honey-trehan-directorial-removed-from-zee5s-international-catalogue-reports/articleshow/132327913.cms |website=The Times of India |location=India |publisher=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=12 July 2026}}</ref>

== Plot ==

Bank employee [[Jaswant Singh Khalra]], based in [[Amritsar]], begins investigating an unusual rise in unidentified bodies being cremated after the disappearance of his acquaintance Kirpal Singh, followed by Kirpal's mother, Bibi Gurpej Kaur. During the investigation, Khalra receives discreet assistance from police officer Satnam, while simultaneously encountering increasing hostility from law enforcement officials.

As Khalra continues gathering evidence, his wife Paramjit Kaur remains steadfast despite repeated intimidation, surveillance, and threats directed at their family. Senior police officer Surjit Singh Sugga and his subordinates repeatedly attempt to pressure Khalra into abandoning his inquiries.

Khalra eventually disappears, prompting widespread public concern. His wife launches a sustained campaign demanding answers, resulting in a [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] inquiry. The investigation is led by CBI officer Samudra Singh, who also serves as the film's narrator while reconstructing the events surrounding Khalra's investigation and disappearance.<ref name="Hindustan Times"/>

== Cast ==

* [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as [[Jaswant Singh Khalra]]
* [[Arjun Rampal]] as Samudra Singh, Additional Director, [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]]
* [[Kanwaljit Singh (actor)|Kanwaljit Singh]] as [[Director general of police|DGP]] Inderpal Singh Bitta (based on [[KPS Gill]])
* [[Suvinder Vicky]] as [[Superintendent of police (India)|SSP]] Surjit Singh Sugga (based on Ajit Singh Sandhu)
* [[Geetika Vidya Ohlyan]] as Paramjit Kaur Khalra ("Pammi")
* [[S. M. Zaheer]] as [[Chief Minister of Punjab, India|Chief Minister]] Anant Singh (based on [[Beant Singh (politician)|Beant Singh]])
* [[Saurabh Sachdeva]] as [[Senior Constable]] Satnam Singh
* Amit Dhawan as [[Deputy superintendent of police|DSP]] Jagpal Singh
* [[Varun Badola]] as Advocate Ravinder Jais (based on Advocate Rajvinder Singh Bains)
* [[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]] as [[Director general of police|DGP]] S. P. Varma
* [[Rahul Mittra]] as [[Inspector]] J. Randhava
* Jyoti Dogra as Bibi Gurpej Kaur Bannowal
* Bhupender Singh as Kirpal Singh Bannowal
* [[Amardeep Jha]] as Satnam Singh's mother
* [[Jagjeet Sandhu]] as SPO{{efn|Special Police Officer}} Kuljit Singh (based on SPO Kuldeep Singh Bachra, an eyewitness)
* Vansh Bhardwaj as [[Inspector]] Shivender Singh
* Vikas Mohla as [[Sub-inspector|SI]] Harinder Singh
* Akhilesh Dwivedi as [[Sub-inspector|SI]] Tejinder Singh
* Ramji Bali as [[Inspector]] Ajay Kumar
* Milind Dhaimade as [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] Chief Bhullar
* Anurag Arora as Government Official
* Amardeep Gill as [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] Mahinderpal Singh
* Anil Mange as Sanjiv Singh (based on Rajiv Singh Randhawa, an eyewitness)
* Anjuman Saxena as High Court Judge
* [[Geeta Agarwal Sharma]] as Geeta Basra, a medical officer connected to the mortuary-related incidents (loosely based on nurse Baljeet Kaur of Patti)
* Corinne Meadors as [[Colleen Beaumier]]

== Production ==

=== Development ===

Honey Trehan began developing the project in 2020, undertaking extensive historical research before writing commenced. According to Trehan, the research archive eventually exceeded 1,800 pages and incorporated court records, witness testimonies, official documents and other source material relating to the events depicted in the film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baweja |first=Harinder |date=14 July 2026 |title=Honey Trehan Speaks for the First Time After the Ban on His Film: 'The Flow of the Satluj Cannot be Stopped' |url=https://thewire.in/film/honey-trehan-speaks-for-the-first-time-after-the-ban-on-his-film-the-flow-of-the-satluj-cannot-be-stopped |website=thewire.in |location=India |publisher=[[The Wire (India)]] |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian">{{cite web |last=Ellis-Petersen |first=Hannah |date=18 July 2026 |title='A revolutionary act to watch it': the film India’s censors do not want you to see |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/satluj-honey-trehan-film-india-censors-do-not-want-you-to-see |website=theguardian.com |location=Delhi |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sinha |first=Seema |date=17 July 2026 |title=INTERVIEW {!} Honey Trehan On Satluj Reaching Every Village In Punjab: 'They Said My Film Would Divide People, It Did The Opposite' |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/entertainment/satluj-director-honey-trehan-interview-on-film-ban-and-unauthorised-screenings-in-punjab-enn26071701293 |website=etvbharat.com |location=India |publisher=[[Ramoji Group#ETV Bharat|ETV Bharat]] |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref>

Trehan initially co-wrote the screenplay with Utsav Maitra, who also worked as the film's associate director. By the time [[Niren Bhatt]] joined the writing team, the pair had already completed two screenplay drafts.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0sfUsFFHgI |title=Why Censor? {{!}} Nope w/ Kunal Kamra ft Honey Trehan {{!}} 035 |date=6 September 2025 |last=Kamra |first=Kunal |access-date=18 July 2026 |via=[[YouTube]] |type=Video}}</ref>{{Reference page|location=9:55}}

Following Bhatt's involvement, the writers spent approximately a year refining the script. As part of the process, Trehan and Bhatt travelled across several districts of Punjab for nearly a month to conduct additional field research and gather local perspectives relevant to the story.<ref name="ThePrint">{{cite web |last=Gulati |first=Triya |date=11 July 2026 |title=Honey Trehan and Satluj crew ate only at Punjab gurdwaras while making the film |url=https://theprint.in/entertainment/honey-trehan-satluj-crew-punjab-gurdwaras-niren-bhatt/2983752/ |website=theprint.in |location=India |publisher=[[ThePrint]] |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref>

=== Casting ===

The casting of Punjabi actor and singer [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as [[Jaswant Singh Khalra]] attracted considerable public attention because of both the actor's popularity and the politically sensitive subject matter. Director Honey Trehan later revealed that Dosanjh accepted only a token payment of ₹1, choosing to participate in the project for reasons beyond commercial remuneration.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thakur |first=Anjali |date=6 July 2026 |title=How much did Diljit Dosanjh charge for Satluj? Honey Trehan's revelation is winning hearts online |url=https://www.livemint.com/entertainment/how-much-did-diljit-dosanjh-charge-for-satluj-honey-trehans-revelation-is-winning-hearts-online-11783347405235.html |website=livemint.com |location=India |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)]] |access-date=9 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date=16 July 2026 |title=Honey Trehan says Diljit Dosanjh took just Rs 1 for Satluj; here's why |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/news/2026/Jul/16/honey-trehan-says-diljit-dosanjh-took-just-rs-1-for-satluj-heres-why |website=cinemaexpress.com |publisher=[[Cinema Express]] |access-date=16 July 2026}}</ref>

[[Arjun Rampal]] portrayed Samudra Singh, the CBI officer responsible for investigating Khalra's disappearance, while [[Suvinder Vicky]] was cast as SSP Surjit Singh Sugga, a character representing elements of the Punjab Police's counter-insurgency apparatus during the period depicted in the film.

=== Filming ===

[[Principal photography]] commenced in 2021 and concluded the following year, with filming wrapping in 2022.<ref name="ThePrint"/><ref name="The Guardian"/>

=== Post-production ===

During production, the film carried the title ''[[Ghallughara (Sikhism)|Ghallughara]]'', a Punjabi term referring to historic massacres of Sikhs. In December 2022, the project entered a prolonged certification process after the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC) sought 21 cuts together with a change of title before issuing certification. The producers subsequently challenged the CBFC's decision before the [[Bombay High Court]].<ref>{{cite web |access-date=17 July 2024 |title=CBFC asks 85 cuts in Diljit Dosanjh starrer Punjab ‘95, based on life of Jaswant Singh Khalra; release remains uncertain: Report |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/bollywood/cbfc-asks-85-cuts-diljit-dosanjh-starrer-punjab-95-based-life-jaswant-singh-khalra-release-remains-uncertain-report |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref>

Following discussions involving the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]], the filmmakers agreed to adopt the title ''Punjab '95'' while retaining the film's uncut version after objections were raised to the original title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/panjab-95-diljit-dosanjh-film-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-india-release-9785514/|title=‘Punjab ’95’, Diljit Dosanjh film on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra to release globally on Feb 7; no date for India yet|date=3 March 2025 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/punjab-95-teaser-diljit-dosanjh-plays-courageous-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-film-to-finally-release-on-this-date-9784809/|title=Punjab 95 teaser: Diljit Dosanjh plays courageous activist Jaswant Singh Khalra; film to finally release on this date|date=3 March 2025 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref>

The film later underwent review by the CBFC's Revising Committee, which reportedly requested more than 120 additional cuts together with further alterations.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=25 September 2024 |title=Diljit Dosanjh starrer Punjab '95 faces demands from CBFC for 120 cuts, title change and renaming of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra: Report |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/bollywood/diljit-dosanjh-starrer-punjab-95-faces-demands-cbfc-120-cuts-title-change-renaming-human-rights-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-report |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref>

The official trailer was removed from [[YouTube]] in India one day after its release.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=22 January 2025 |title=Diljit Dosanjh's Panjab '95 Release Delayed Indefinitely |url=https://thewire.in/politics/diljit-dosanjhs-punjab-95-release-delayed-indefinitely |website=The Wire}}</ref> An uncut international release was subsequently announced for 7 February 2025 in several countries, excluding India, but was postponed again without an official explanation.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=21 January 2025 |title=Punjab ’95' delayed again: Censorship and political pressures stall release of Jaswant Singh Khalra biopic |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/punjab-95-delayed-again-censorship-and-political-pressures-stall-release-of-jaswant-singh-khalra-biopics/articleshow/117426237.cms |website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 March 2025 |title=Punjab '95 release postponed again; why Diljit Dosanjh film faced 120 censor cuts, was axed from film festivals |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/punjab-95-release-postponed-again-why-diljit-dosanjh-film-faced-controversy-120-cuts-jaswant-singh-khalra-honey-trehan-101737434136326.html#:~:text=Diljit%20took%20to%20Instagram%20Stories,other%20stories,%20along%20with%20a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121180552/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/punjab-95-release-postponed-again-why-diljit-dosanjh-film-faced-controversy-120-cuts-jaswant-singh-khalra-honey-trehan-101737434136326.html#:~:text=Diljit%20took%20to%20Instagram%20Stories,other%20stories,%20along%20with%20a |archive-date=21 January 2025 |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref>

Trehan and Dosanjh publicly stated that they would not release a version modified to comply with the certification demands, maintaining that the film should be presented in its intended form.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=7 September 2025 |title=From 21 to 127 – how CBFC’s cut list for Panjab ’95 increased over time; Honey Trehan makes EXPLOSIVE revelation: “CBFC told us remove 'desh', 'Gurbani'; asked me ‘Itni zor se sach kaun bolta hai?’…I told Ronnie Screwvala that 127-cut version should neither have my name nor Diljit Dosanjh’s” |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/21-127-cbfcs-cut-list-panjab-95-increased-time-honey-trehan-makes-explosive-revelation-cbfc-told-us-remove-desh-gurbani-asked/ |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |access-date=4 July 2026 |title='If even a single cut had been made, I would not have promoted the film': Diljit Dosanjh breaks silence as Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky starrer 'Satluj' hits OTT after 3 years |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/if-even-a-single-cut-had-been-made-i-would-not-have-promoted-the-film-diljit-dosanjh-breaks-silence-as-arjun-rampal-and-suvinder-vicky-starrer-satluj-hits-ott-after-3-years/articleshow/132179355.cms |website=The Times of India}}</ref>

The film had originally been selected for screening at the 2023 [[Toronto International Film Festival]] (TIFF), but it was later withdrawn from the festival programme following reports that diplomatic concerns raised by Indian authorities over its political subject matter influenced the decision. The episode preceded the certification disputes that later delayed the film's public release.

== Soundtrack ==

{{Infobox album
| name = Satluj
| type = soundtrack
| artist = Marc Marder
| released = 13 July 2026
| recorded =
| length = {{Duration|m=9|s=20}}
| language = Punjabi
| label = Sangeet Music
| prev_title = [[We Are the Fruits of the Forest]]
| prev_year = 2025
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{external music video| header = Official audio
| {{YouTube|E-59ukn3v2Q&pp|Satluj – Full Album}}
}}
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| total_length = 9:20
| all_music = Marc Marder
| title1 = Gurmukh Laha Lei Gaye
| note1 = [[Tabla]]: Gurinder{{br}}Pal Singh{{br}}[[Seni rebab|Rabab]]: Mahabir Singh Rana, Sandeep Singh
| length1 = 6:29
| lyrics1 = Traditional [[Gurbani]] [[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]]
| extra1 = Bhai Harjinder Singh Srinagar Wale{{br}}Side accompanist: Jaspreet Singh
| title2 = Satnam Shri Waheguru
| length2 = 1:29
| lyrics2 = Traditional{{br}}[[Gurbani]]{{br}}[[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]]
| extra2 = Gyani Balwinder Singh, Gyani Kuljeet Singh
| title3 = Sir Dijae Kaan Na Kijae
| length3 = 1:22
| lyrics3 = Traditional [[Gurbani]] [[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]]
| extra3 = Gyani Balwinder Singh, Gyani Kuljeet Singh, Bibi Amrit Kaur
}}

== Release ==

''Satluj'' was originally scheduled to make its world premiere at the 2023 [[Toronto International Film Festival]] (TIFF). Shortly before the festival began, however, the film was removed from the official programme, with reports attributing the withdrawal to external objections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/diljit-dosanjhs-punjab-95-pulled-from-toronto-film-festival-lineup-reports/article67187184.ece|title=Diljit Dosanjh's 'Punjab 95' pulled from Toronto Film Festival lineup: reports|website=The Hindu |date=12 August 2023|language=en}}</ref>

After multiple postponements and a prolonged certification dispute, the film was eventually released digitally in its uncut form on [[ZEE5]] on 3 July 2026 under the new title ''Satluj''.<ref name="variety" /><ref>{{cite web |access-date=3 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal starrer Satluj begins streaming on ZEE5; Honey Trehan directorial inspired by the life of Jaswant Singh |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/diljit-dosanjh-arjun-rampal-starrer-satluj-begins-streaming-on-zee5-honey-trehan-directorial-inspired-by-the-life-of-jaswant-singh |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref>

Approximately two days after its streaming debut, the film was removed from ZEE5's Indian catalogue pending further notice.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=5 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj taken down from ZEE5 India until further notice |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-taken-down-zee5-india-until-further-notice-official-statement-punjab-95-2941223-2026-07-05 |website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |access-date=5 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj Removed From Zee5 In India Two Days After Release |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/diljit-dosanjhs-satluj-removed-from-ott-two-days-after-release-11730614 |website=NDTV}}</ref> On 11 July 2026, the film was likewise withdrawn from ZEE5's international library.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=11 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj pulled from ZEE5 internationally days after India takedown |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/diljit-dosanjhs-satluj-pulled-from-zee5-internationally-days-after-india-takedown-10781658 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref>

According to media reports, the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]] directed the removal under provisions of the [[Information Technology Act, 2000]], including Section 69A and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules. The reported justification cited concerns relating to public order, national security and sovereignty. Reports further indicated that an inter-departmental committee reviewed the matter and upheld aspects of the decision after examining the film's depiction of historical events. During the controversy, some groups also sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Diljit Dosanjh and Honey Trehan, alleging that the film promoted hostility between communities. The episode subsequently contributed to wider discussions regarding the future regulation of OTT platforms and proposals for more formal statutory oversight.

== Reception ==

=== Audience viewership ===

During the approximately 48 hours that it remained available on ZEE5 in India, ''Satluj'' recorded 6.58 million views before being removed from the streaming platform.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chowdhury |first=Kavita |date=15 July 2026 |title=The Film ‘Satluj’ Revisits a Turbulent Chapter in India’s Counterinsurgency History |url=https://thediplomat.com/2026/07/the-film-satluj-revisits-a-turbulent-chapter-in-indias-counterinsurgency-history |website=thediplomat.com |publisher=[[The Diplomat (magazine)]] |access-date=16 July 2026}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===

[[Saibal Chatterjee]] of ''[[NDTV]]'' awarded the film four out of five stars, describing ''Satluj'' as a compelling political drama that "pulls no punches" and concluding that its change of title had not diminished its overall impact.<ref>{{cite news |first=Saibal |last=Chatterjee |title=Satluj Review: Diljit Dosanjh Leads The Way In An Unmissable Film |work=NDTV |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/satluj-review-diljit-dosanjh-leads-the-way-in-an-unmissable-film-4-stars-11726747 |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[The Indian Express]]'', [[Shubhra Gupta]] rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars. She described it as a powerful and emotionally affecting portrayal of an individual confronting injustice, praising Honey Trehan and the filmmaking team for presenting the story of a real person and historical period with conviction.<ref>{{cite news |first=Shubhra |last=Gupta |title=Satluj movie review: Diljit Dosanjh’s performance gives this film its strength |work=The Indian Express |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/satluj-movie-review-diljit-dosanjh-performance-gives-film-strength-honey-trehan-10770746/lite/ |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Reviewing the film for ''[[Scroll.in]]'', Nandini Ramnath characterised it as a harrowing account of unchecked state power and praised Diljit Dosanjh's restrained performance together with the supporting cast, including Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Suvinder Vicky and Arjun Rampal. While she argued that the film understated Jaswant Singh Khalra's association with leftist political traditions and considered parts of its 163-minute runtime unnecessarily prolonged, she nevertheless described it as one of the strongest Indian political films in recent years.<ref name="scroll" />

In ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'', Debanjan Dhar gave the film four out of five stars, calling it one of the year's most significant releases. He particularly praised the performances of Diljit Dosanjh and Suvinder Vicky, describing Vicky's portrayal as an unsettling depiction of institutional brutality.<ref name="outlook">{{cite news |title=Satluj Review: Diljit And Suvinder Vicky Command One of The Year's Most Essential, Searing Films |work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/movie-review/satluj-review-diljit-and-suvinder-vicky-command-one-of-the-years-most-essential-searing-films |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

A reviewer for ''[[India TV|India TV News]]'' commended the film's understated cinematography and restrained musical score but considered the editing uneven in places, suggesting that a shorter runtime would have strengthened the overall narrative. The publication awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars.<ref name="indiatv">{{cite news |title=Satluj Movie Review: Diljit Dosanjh strengthens Honey Trehan's haunting tale of truth and courage |work=[[India TV|India TV News]] |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/amp/entertainment/movie-review/satluj-movie-review-and-rating-diljit-dosanjh-honey-trehan-1307 |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Bhumi Vashisht of ''[[The Sunday Guardian|Sunday Guardian Live]]'' described ''Satluj'' as a fearless docu-drama and highlighted Diljit Dosanjh's performance as a notable departure from his previous on-screen roles.<ref name="sundayguardian">{{cite news |title=Satluj Movie Review: Diljit Dosanjh Powers A Fearless Docu-Drama That Exposes Punjab's Darkest Chapter With Unflinching Honesty |work=Sunday Guardian Live |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/entertainment-news/satluj-movie-review-diljit-dosanjh-powers-a-fearless-docu-drama-that-exposes-punjabs-darkest-chapter-with-unflinching-honesty-226126/ |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Troy Ribeiro of ''[[Free Press Journal]]'' gave the film three out of five stars, describing it as a sincere and purposeful work anchored by a clear moral perspective. He praised the performances of Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal and Kanwaljit Singh, while observing that the film prioritised atmosphere over spectacle.<ref name="freepress">{{cite news |title=Satluj Review: Diljit Dosanjh's Film Carries the Weight of a Nation's Conscience |work=[[Free Press Journal]] |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/satluj-review-diljit-dosanjhs-film-carries-the-weight-of-a-nations-conscience |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Reviewing the film for ''[[The Hollywood Reporter India]]'', Shilajit Mitra described ''Satluj'' as both heartfelt and harrowing, calling it among the finest Indian films released during the year.<ref>{{cite news |first=Shilajit |last=Mitra |title='Satluj' Movie Review: Diljit Dosanjh Anchors One Of The Finest Indian Films of The Year |work=The Hollywood Reporter India |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/satluj-review-diljit-dosanjhs-film-carries-the-weight-of-a-nations-conscience |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

The reviewer for ''[[Bollywood Hungama]]'' awarded the film 3.5 out of five stars, praising its sensitive treatment of its subject matter while highlighting the performances of Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky.<ref>{{cite news |title=Satluj Movie Review: SATLUJ brings a deeply disturbing true story to the screen. |work=Bollywood Hungama |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/satluj/critic-review/satluj-movie-review/satluj-brings-a-deeply-disturbing-true-story-to-the-screen/ |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Neeshita Nyayapati of ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' gave the film four out of five stars, writing that although it focused on a particular individual, region and historical period, its broader message concerned the capacity of individuals to bring about social change. She described the film as both an effective political drama and a reminder of the enduring value of moral courage.<ref name="Hindustan Times">{{cite news |first=Neeshita |last=Nyayapati |title=Satluj movie review: Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal film recounts harrowing tale from Punjab ‘95 that's a punch to the gut |work=Hindustan Times |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/satluj-movie-review-diljit-dosanjh-arjun-rampal-film-recounts-harrowing-tale-from-punjab-95-zee5-jaswant-singh-khalra-101783152982143.html |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Writing in ''[[The Hindu]]'', Anuj Kumar praised Diljit Dosanjh's performance as Jaswant Singh Khalra and observed that Honey Trehan used the film to examine themes surrounding the dehumanisation of citizens and state violence.<ref name="TH">{{cite news |first=Anuj |last=Kumar |title=‘Satluj’ movie review: The anatomy of state violence |work=The Hindu |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/satluj-movie-review-the-anatomy-of-state-violencediljit-dosanjh-panjab-95-honey-trehan/article71182649.ece |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Devesh Sharma of ''[[Filmfare]]'' awarded the film four out of five stars, describing it as a moving account of courage and conscience. He wrote that although ''Satluj'' was not intended as conventional entertainment, it succeeded in educating, unsettling and emotionally engaging audiences while honouring the legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra.<ref>{{cite news |first=Devesh |last=Sharma |title=Satluj Movie Review: Devastating Chronicle of Courage and Conscience |work=Filmfare |date=4 July 2026 |url=https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/satluj-movie-review-devastating-chronicle-of-courage-and-conscience-84782.html |access-date=4 July 2026}}</ref>

Agnivo Niyogi of ''[[The Telegraph (India)]]'' praised the performances of the principal cast, the cinematography by K. U. Mohanan, the editing by A. Sreekar Prasad and Honey Trehan's direction. He wrote that the film examined systemic abuse by illustrating how institutions can normalise extraordinary violence in the absence of accountability.<ref>{{cite web |last=Niyogi |first=Agnivo |date=5 July 2026 |title=‘Satluj’ review: A powerful reminder that democracy dies when accountability disappears |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/satluj-review-a-powerful-reminder-that-democracy-dies-when-accountability-disappears/cid/2168694 |publisher=Telegraph India |access-date=5 July 2026}}</ref>

=== Criticism ===

Some commentators argued that ''Satluj'' presents an incomplete interpretation of the [[Insurgency in Punjab, India|Punjab insurgency]], contending that it devotes comparatively limited attention to violence committed by Khalistan militant groups during the conflict. Among the critics was ''OpIndia'', which asserted that the film focused primarily on allegations of state excesses while giving insufficient coverage to militant attacks, including massacres of Punjabi Hindus, targeted killings of passengers removed from buses, attacks on public infrastructure and the broader civilian casualties associated with Khalistan-related militancy during the late 1980s and early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj softens Khalistani terrorists, ignores Hindu victims and revives a separatist narrative around Punjab militancy |url=https://www.opindia.com/2026/07/mask-off-diljit-dosanjh-satluj-opindia-warning/ |website=OpIndia |date=8 July 2026 |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref>

Particular criticism was directed at the film's depiction of the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister [[Beant Singh (politician)|Beant Singh]]. Some commentators argued that the sequence, which incorporates slow-motion cinematography, stylised visual treatment and accompanying background music, risked presenting the assassination in a manner that could be interpreted as glorifying or romanticising the perpetrators, including [[Dilawar Singh Babbar]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Keshri |first=Shweta |title=Satluj CM assassination scene sparks backlash over portrayal and background song |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/story/satluj-beant-singh-assassination-scene-sparks-backlash-over-portrayal-and-background-song-2941791-2026-07-06 |website=India Today |date=7 July 2026 |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Satluj: Why Diljit Dosanjh Film Faced Title Changes, CBFC Cuts And OTT Ban |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/web-series/satluj-why-diljit-dosanjh-film-faced-title-changes-cbfc-cuts-and-ott-ban-full-controversy-explained-article-154961065 |website=Times Now |date=7 July 2026 |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref>

Supporters of the film, however, maintained that the sequence formed part of the historical narrative depicted in the film and should be considered within its broader portrayal of the political and human rights issues explored throughout the story.

=== Political views ===
[[File:Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg|Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.|thumb|right]]
Accounts of [[Jaswant Singh Khalra]]'s political and ideological background have varied across historical and journalistic sources. Although ''Satluj'' principally portrays him through the lens of his work documenting alleged enforced disappearances and advocating for human rights, some commentators have noted that his earlier political activities receive comparatively limited attention.

According to some published accounts, Khalra was associated during his youth with leftist and Marxist-influenced student activism, including organisations such as the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, before later becoming associated with the human rights wing of the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]]. These differing aspects of his political evolution have contributed to varying interpretations of his public life among journalists, scholars and political observers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marxist, Akali, Khalistan sympathiser: Jaswant Singh Khalra was harder to place than Satluj admits |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/07/13/marxist-akali-khalistan-sympathiser-jaswant-singh-khalra-was-harder-to-place-than-satluj-admits |website=Newslaundry |date=13 July 2026 |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jaswant Singh Khalra |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaswant_Singh_Khalra |website=Wikipedia |access-date=18 July 2026}}</ref>

Some writers have also examined Khalra's later political views and public associations. According to these accounts, he expressed support for Sikh self-determination and engaged with individuals and organisations advocating the creation of Khalistan. During the 1990s, Punjab Police further alleged that he maintained links with Khalistan militants, although human rights organisations and several later commentators have described such allegations as attempts to discredit his investigations into alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings rather than as independently established findings.
== Impact ==

Following the removal of ''Satluj'' from ZEE5 in India, pirated copies of the film began circulating widely across digital platforms, including [[WhatsApp]], [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]], [[X (social network)|X]] (formerly Twitter) and [[YouTube]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Das |first=Kusumika |date=7 July 2026 |title=How Satluj Pirated Copies Flooded WhatsApp And Telegram After ZEE5 Takedown |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/how-satluj-pirated-copies-flooded-whatsapp-and-telegram-after-zee5-takedown-11737314 |website=NDTV |publisher=NDTV |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref>

In response to the takedown, Sikh organisations, local activists and community groups organised public screenings of the film in several parts of India, particularly at [[Gurdwara|gurdwaras]], using copies that had circulated online. Writing in ''[[Forbes]]'', Hannah Abraham described the phenomenon as an example of the [[Streisand effect]], whereby attempts to restrict access resulted in greater public visibility and interest.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sheikh |first1=Saaliq |last2=Prabhjot |first2=Gill |date=10 July 2026 |title=Community screenings help a movie set during an Indian insurgency bypass censorship |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-punjab-satluj-film-censorship-a0e31a0f4682f3ec97dcef878844de4f |website=AP News |publisher=AP News |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rani |first=Gayatri |date=9 July 2026 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj begins screening at Gurudwaras in five states after OTT removal: Report |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/diljit-dosanjhs-satluj-begins-screening-at-gurudwaras-in-five-states-after-ott-removal-report-article-13969680.html |website=MoneyControl |location=India |publisher=Money Control |access-date=9 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Singh |first=Sardar Sarabjoth |date=11 July 2026 |title=Hyderabad Gurudwara to screen Satluj for free as OTT shuts doors |url=https://www.siasat.com/gurudwara-in-hyderabad-to-screen-diljit-dosanjh-satluj-as-zee5-shuts-doors-3505356 |location=Hyderabad |publisher=The Siasat Daily |access-date=11 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Abraham |first=Hannah |date=9 July 2026 |title=“You Think One Film Can Destroy Your Democracy?”:‘Satluj’ Director Honey Trehan On Censorship And The Streisand Effect |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahabraham/2026/07/09/you-think-one-film-can-destroy-your-democracysatluj-director-honey-trehan-on-censorship-and-the-streisand-effect/ |website=Forbes |location=United States |publisher=Forbes |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref>

On 9 July 2026, a [[Public interest litigation in India|public interest litigation]] (PIL) was filed before the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] seeking restoration of the film on ZEE5. The petition questioned the legal basis for the platform's decision to remove the film and raised issues relating to freedom of expression, procedural transparency and the rights of subscribers who had paid to access the content.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kumar Bhardwaj |first=Aman |date=9 July 2026 |title=Satluj row: PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks restoration of film on Zee5 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/story/satluj-row-pil-in-punjab-and-haryana-high-court-seeks-zee5-film-restoration-2944218-2026-07-09 |website=India Today |publisher=India Today |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref>

<blockquote>''"The abrupt removal of the film, without disclosure of any statutory order, judicial direction or lawful authority, has not only curtailed [[Freedom of expression in India|the fundamental right of the public to receive information and artistic expression under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India]] but has also deprived thousands of bona-fide subscribers of access to content for which they had already paid consideration,"'' the petition stated.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gavankar |first=Vaishnavi |date=9 July 2026 |title=PIL in Punjab and Haryana HC seeks restoration of Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj on ZEE5 |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/pil-in-punjab-and-haryana-hc-seeks-restoration-of-diljit-dosanjh-s-satluj-on-zee5-article-13970333.html |publisher=MoneyControl |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref></blockquote>

On 10 July 2026, more than 50 journalists and film critics signed a joint letter addressed to [[Ashwini Vaishnaw]], the Union Minister for [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Information and Broadcasting]], criticising the removal of the film from ZEE5. The signatories described the action as an instance of executive overreach and argued that it reflected a continuing erosion of due process.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=10 July 2026 |title=“Executive overreach”: Over 50 journalists, film critics condemn removal of Satluj from ZEE5 |url=https://maktoobmedia.com/public/post?id=115917&slug=executive-overreach-over-50-journalists-film-critics-condemn-removal-of-satluj-from-zee5 |website=Maktoob Media |publisher=Maktoob Media |access-date=10 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date=10 July 2026 |title=Continuing Erosion of Due Process': Film Journalists Write to Ashwini Vaishnaw on Abrupt Removal of 'Satluj' |url=https://thewire.in/film/film-journalists-write-to-ashwini-vaishnaw-on-abrupt-removal-of-satluj |website=The Wire |publisher=The Wire |access-date=11 June 2026}}</ref>

The controversy surrounding the film also prompted broader debate regarding the regulation of over-the-top (OTT) streaming services. Several reports indicated that the Indian government was considering a more formal statutory framework for digital platforms, including proposals for pre-certification mechanisms that would move beyond the existing system of industry self-regulation.

== See also ==

* ''[[Punjab 1984]]''
* ''[[Jogi (2022 film)|Jogi]]''

== Notes ==

{{Notelist}}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb title|id=43641251}}
* {{Bollywood Hungama movie|satluj}}

[[Category:2026 films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Punjabi-language Indian films]]
[[Category:Films about massacres of Sikhs]]
[[Category:Fiction about the insurgency in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Punjab Police (India)]]
[[Category:Films about religious violence in India]]
[[Category:Films based on real people]]
[[Category:Films set in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]
[[Category:Film censorship in India]]
[[Category:Censored films]]
[[Category:Indian films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films about police brutality]]

List of signatories to the Ajmal Kasab mercy petition

2026-07-16T06:23:16Z

BellaCH: Image and hatnote

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}
{{Short description|List of signatories to the 2012 clemency petition for Ajmal Kasab}}
{{main|Ajmal Kasab}}
[[File:Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.jpg|Ajmal Kasab, one of the ten terrorists involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks at the Victoria Terminus station taken at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station|thumb|right]]
The '''2012 clemency petition for Ajmal Kasab''' was a public appeal submitted to the [[President of India]] requesting that the death sentence imposed on [[Ajmal Kasab]], the sole surviving terrorist of the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], be commuted to life imprisonment.<ref name="Oneindia">{{cite news |title=Over 200 Indians had urged Prez Pranab not to hang Kasab |url=https://www.oneindia.com/2012/11/21/over-200-indians-had-urged-president-not-to-hang-kasab-1102141.html |work=Oneindia |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

The petition was organised by Mumbai-based advocate [[Yug Mohit Chaudhry]] following the dismissal of Kasab's judicial appeals and before the disposal of his constitutional mercy petition. It was signed by more than 200 members of Indian civil society, including lawyers, academics, journalists, writers, artists, retired public officials and human rights activists.<ref name="Oneindia" />

The signatories stated that their appeal was based on principled opposition to capital punishment rather than support for Kasab or his actions.<ref name="AmnestyPress">{{cite web |title=Kasab execution represents Indian death penalty backslide |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2012/11/kasab-execution-represents-indian-death-penalty-backslide/ |publisher=Amnesty International |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

==Background==

[[Ajmal Kasab]], the only surviving terrorist of the ten gunmen who carried out the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], was convicted by a special court in Mumbai on 3 May 2010 on multiple charges, including murder, waging war against India and offences under anti-terrorism legislation. He was sentenced to death on 6 May 2010. The conviction and sentence were subsequently upheld by the [[Bombay High Court]] on 21 February 2011 and by the [[Supreme Court of India]] on 29 August 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=26/11 terror attacks case: Supreme Court upholds Kasab's death sentence |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/2611-terror-attacks-case-sc-upholds-kasabs-death-sentence/ |work=The Indian Express |date=29 August 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bombay HC upholds Kasab's death sentence |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bombay-hc-upholds-kasabs-death-sentence/article1478204.ece |work=The Hindu |date=21 February 2011 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

Following the dismissal of his judicial appeals, Kasab submitted a mercy petition to the [[President of India]] under Article 72 of the Constitution. During the pendency of the petition, a group of lawyers, academics, writers, journalists and human rights activists submitted a separate public appeal requesting that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. The petition argued that the death penalty should not be imposed regardless of the nature of the atrocity and described the appeal as an affirmation of opposition to capital punishment rather than a defence of Kasab's crimes.<ref name="EconomicTimes">{{cite news |title=Ajmal Kasab's mercy petition last among 12 pending petitions in President Pranab Mukherjee's office |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ajmal-kasabs-mercy-petition-last-among-12-pending-petitions-in-president-pranab-mukherjees-office/articleshow/17012050.cms |work=The Economic Times |date=31 October 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="AmnestyPDF">{{cite web |title=Kasab execution represents Indian death penalty backslide |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/asa200372012en.pdf |publisher=Amnesty International |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

President [[Pranab Mukherjee]] rejected Kasab's mercy petition on 5 November 2012 following the recommendation of the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]. Kasab was executed by hanging at [[Yerawada Central Jail]] in Pune on 21 November 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mercy denied: The execution list before NDA |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/mercy-denied-the-execution-list-before-nda/ |work=The Indian Express |date=26 July 2015 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="IndiaToday">{{cite news |title=Kasab executed at Yerawada Jail |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/afzal-guru-hanging/story/death-row-ajmal-kasab-afzal-guru-india-today-122166-2012-11-22 |work=India Today |date=22 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

==Petition==

The clemency petition was organised by Mumbai-based advocate [[Yug Mohit Chaudhry]] following the exhaustion of Ajmal Kasab's judicial remedies. Addressed to President [[Pranab Mukherjee]], it requested that Kasab's death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment under the President's constitutional power of clemency.<ref name="Oneindia" /><ref name="EconomicTimes" />

The signatories stated that their appeal was founded on principled opposition to capital punishment rather than sympathy for Kasab or justification of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. They argued that the abolition of the death penalty was consistent with international human rights principles and urged the President to commute the sentence irrespective of the gravity of the crimes.<ref name="AmnestyPDF" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Terrorists, mercy petitions and the great hypocrisy |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/terrorists-mercy-petitions-and-the-great-hypocrisy/article4204084.ece |work=The Hindu |date=11 December 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

The petition was signed by members of civil society from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including lawyers, academics, journalists, writers, artists, retired civil servants and human rights activists. Following President Mukherjee's rejection of Kasab's mercy petition on 5 November 2012, the clemency request became infructuous, and Kasab was executed on 21 November 2012.<ref name="IndiaToday" />

==Signatories==

The following individuals were identified as signatories to the 2012 clemency petition requesting that the death sentence imposed on Ajmal Kasab be commuted to life imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of People Who Signed Ajmal Kasab’s Mercy Petition |url=https://advocatetanmoy.com/list-of-people-who-signed-ajmal-kasabs-mercy-petition/ |website=Advocatetanmoy Law Library |date=13 February 2019}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! No.
! Name
! Occupation / Affiliation
! Notes
|-
| 1
| A. K. Jayasree
| A gender activist
|
|-
| 2
| Aakar Patel
| Journalist
| Journalist and author.
|-
| 3
| Aamir Bashir
| Actor and Director
|
|-
| 4
| Abbas Kazmi
| Lawyer
| Defence counsel during Ajmal Kasab trial.
|-
| 5
| Abdul Wahab Khan
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 6
| Abha Bhaiya
| Indian feminist activist and cofounder of Jagori Rural Charitable Trust
|
|-
| 7
| Achin Vanaik
| Political scientist and author
|
|-
| 8
| Aditi Khanna
| Senior Correspondent, Press Trust of India
|
|-
| 9
| Ajaya Kumar Singh
| a Catholic priest, and human rights activist
|
|-
| 10
| Akshay Pathak
|
|
|-
| 11
| Amba Kak
| Researcher
|
|-
| 12
| Amin Solkar
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 13
| Amita Chatterjee
|
|
|-
| 14
| Amitabha Pande
|
|
|-
| 15
| Amrita Nandy
| Jawaharlal Nehru University
|
|-
| 16
| Amrita Shodhan
| School of African and Asian Studies, UK
|
|-
| 17
| Andaleeb Alam
| Social Worker
|
|-
| 18
| Anish Grewal
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 19
| Anita Cherian
| Asst. Prof, Eng. Dept, Indraprastha
|
|-
| 20
| Anjali Dave
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 21
| Anju Talukdar
| Assistant project co-ordinator of the Disability Law Unit, advocacy for various social issues.
|
|-
| 22
| Anu Salelkar
| Anubhuti Trust
|
|-
| 23
| Anuj Bhagwati
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 24
| Anuradha Chenoy
| Adjunct Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs
|
|-
| 25
| Anusha Rizvi
| Consultant on Gender, Law, and Human Rights
|
|-
| 26
| Apoorva Kaivar
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 27
| Aruna Roy
| Indian social activist and professor
|
|-
| 28
| Aseem Shrivastava
| A Delhi based environmental economist, activist, and a writer
|
|-
| 29
| Ashish Kothari
| an activist and researcher focusing on environment, development, democracy, and alternatives
|
|-
| 30
| Ashok Agarwaal
| A Civil Rights Group Advocate
|
|-
| 31
| Babloo Loitongbam
| Human rights activist
|
|-
| 32
| Babu Mathew
| Professor of Law
|
|-
| 33
| Balaji Narasimhan
| Professor
|
|-
| 34
| Beena Choksi
| Social Activist
|
|-
| 35
| Bhairavi Sanghi
| Designer
|
|-
| 36
| Bharti Ali
| Development professional and social activist
|
|-
| 37
| Bhaskar Hazarika
| Film director makes films in Assamese
|
|-
| 38
| Binoo John
| Journalist based in New Delhi
|
|-
| 39
| Biraj Patnaik
|
|
|-
| 40
| Bondita Acharya
| Director of Purva Bharati Educational Trust
|
|-
| 41
| Brinda Bose
| Professor of English at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
|
|-
| 42
| Byatha N. Jagadeesh
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 43
| Chetan Mali
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 44
| Colin Gonsalves
| Senior Advocate, Supreme Court.
| Senior Advocate; founder of Human Rights Law Network.
|-
| 45
| Dale Luis Menezes
| Assistant Professor of History Global Studies University
|
|-
| 46
| Deepti
| Saheli
|
|-
| 47
| Devaki Jain
| Development Economist and Writer
| Development economist and writer.
|-
| 48
| Dilip D’Souza
| Journalist
|
|-
| 49
| Dilip Simeon
| Public intellectual
|
|-
| 50
| Dr Ambrose Pinto SJ
| Administrator, St Joseph’s Evening Colleges, Bangalore
|
|-
| 51
| Dr Sandeep Bakshi
| Postdoctoral Fellow, English.
|
|-
| 52
| Dr. Akhil Katyal
| Assistant Professor Delhi University
|
|-
| 53
| Dr. Madhav Thambisetty
| Professor of Medicine
|
|-
| 54
| Dr. Prashant Kidambi
| Lecturer in History, Univ. of Leicester.
|
|-
| 55
| Dr. Walter Fernandes
| North Eastern Social Research Centre
|
|-
| 56
| Dunu Roy
| Social activist, political ecologist, social scientist, and Director of the Hazards Centre (New Delhi)
|
|-
| 57
| Flavia Agnes
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 58
| Forum Against Opression of Women, Mumbai
|
|
|-
| 59
| Gabriele Dietrich
| Sociology Professor at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary
|
|-
| 60
| Gana Kurinji Shanmugasundaram
| Vice-president, PUCL, (Tamil Nadu & Puduchery)
|
|-
| 61
| Gaurav Sinha
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 62
| Gautam Babbar
| United Nations
|
|-
| 63
| Gautam Patel
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 64
| Gayatri Menon
| Social scientist, activist
|
|-
| 65
| Geeta Thatra
| Research Fellow, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 66
| Gopal Krishna
| Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)
|
|-
| 67
| Gulnar Bandukwalla Pruisken
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 68
| HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
|
|
|-
| 69
| Harish Dhawan
| Associate Prof. in Eco, Univ. of Delhi
|
|-
| 70
| Harsh Bora
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 71
| Harsh Kapoor
| Indian sociologist, internet activist, and human rights defender
|
|-
| 72
| Harsh Mander
| Social Activist, NAC Member
| Former IAS officer and social activist.
|-
| 73
| Jacob Matthan
| Social Influencer
|
|-
| 74
| Jagmohan Singh
| Politician and a member of Aam Aadmi Party (presently)
|
|-
| 75
| Jamal Kidwai
| Sixth Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia
|
|-
| 76
| Jashodhara Dasgupta
| Independent researcher, policy analyst and community action expert
|
|-
| 77
| Javed Iqbal
| Journalist
|
|-
| 78
| Jayasree Subramanian
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 79
| Jeny Antony
| Indian actress and model
|
|-
| 80
| Jinee Lokaneeta
| Associate Professor, Political Science
|
|-
| 81
| Joe Athialy
|
|
|-
| 82
| Jyoti Punwani
| Journalist
|
|-
| 83
| K. P. Shankaran
| Lecturer (Retd) in Philosophy
|
|-
| 84
| Kalpana Kannabiran
| Director of Research and Legal Outreach at the Asmita Resource Centre for Women in Secunderabad
|
|-
| 85
| Kalyani Menon Sen
| Feminist Learning Partnerships
|
|-
| 86
| Kamal Mitra Chenoy
|
|
|-
| 87
| Kamayani Bali Mahabal
| Mumbai-based human rights lawyer, feminist, and journalist
|
|-
| 88
| Kamla Bhasin
| Social Scientist
| Feminist author and activist.
|-
| 89
| Kanamma Raman
| Rights activist, and former Professor in Politics at the University of Mumbai’s Department of Civics and Politics
|
|-
| 90
| Kareem Sait
|
|
|-
| 91
| Kasim Sait
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 92
| Kavita Punjabi
| Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
|
|-
| 93
| Kiran Bhatty
| Independent Researcher
|
|-
| 94
| Kiran Shaheen
| Gender justice activist and journalist from Bihar
|
|-
| 95
| Kritika Agarwal
|
|
|-
| 96
| Kunjam Pandu Dora
| Adivasi (indigenous) leader and human rights activist from Andhra Pradesh
|
|-
| 97
| Lalita Ramdas
| Activist, actively involved in promoting alternative education, gender sensitivity, secularism
|
|-
| 98
| Laxmi Murthy
| a women’s right activist
|
|-
| 99
| Madhoo
|
|
|-
| 100
| Madhu Sarin
| Psychoanalyst
|
|-
| 101
| Madhumita Dutta
| Activist, assistant professor at the Ohio State University since 2017
|
|-
| 102
| Maharukh Adenwalla
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 103
| Mahasveta Devi
| Writer
|
|-
| 104
| Mahmood Farooqui
| Historian, Artist, Filmmaker.
| Writer, filmmaker and Dastangoi performer.
|-
| 105
| Malani S
|
|
|-
| 106
| Manisha Sethi
| Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association
|
|-
| 107
| Manohar Elavarthi
| Praja Rajakiya Vedike, Bangalore
|
|-
| 108
| Mansoor Nazeer
| Author
|
|-
| 109
| Mary Scaria
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 110
| Mayank Misra
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 111
| Meenal Baghel
| Editor, Mumbai Mirror
|
|-
| 112
| Meghna Vesvikar
| Social Work, Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
|
|-
| 113
| Mukul Mahant
| Social Activist
|
|-
| 114
| Murtaza Danish Husaini
| Actor and Dramatist.
|
|-
| 115
| N. Jayaram
| Journalist
|
|-
| 116
| Nachiket Udupa
| Indian think tank
|
|-
| 117
| Naima Shaikh
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 118
| Namisha Gupta
| Author
|
|-
| 119
| Namita Kohli
| Student
|
|-
| 120
| Nandini Dey
|
|
|-
| 121
| Nandita Das
| Actress
| Actress and filmmaker.
|-
| 122
| Naresh Fernandes
| Writer
|
|-
| 123
| Navsharan Singh
| Human rights activist and feminist researcher
|
|-
| 124
| Neeraj Malilk
| Indian feminist, academic, and civil rights activist
|
|-
| 125
| Neha Choksi
| Women empowerment activist
|
|-
| 126
| Neha Mujumdar
|
|
|-
| 127
| Nikhil Dey
| Indian social activist
|
|-
| 128
| Nikhil Kumar
|
|
|-
| 129
| Nikita Agarwal
|
|
|-
| 130
| Nisha Biswas
| Activism,human rights, democracy, and minority rights
|
|-
| 131
| Paari Vendan
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 132
| Padma Deosthali
| Researcher and policy advocacy
|
|-
| 133
| Padmini Mirchandani
| Publisher
|
|-
| 134
| Parul Gupta
| Language Teacher
|
|-
| 135
| Peoples’ Union for Democratic Rights
|
|
|-
| 136
| Pritam Bhatty
| Artist
|
|-
| 137
| Priyanka Vegad
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 138
| Prof Rupin Desai
| Professor of English (retd)
|
|-
| 139
| Puneet Kohli
|
|
|-
| 140
| Purnima Gupta
| A feminist and women’s rights activist
|
|-
| 141
| Radha Thomas
| Singer
|
|-
| 142
| Rafiul Alom Rahman
| Student
|
|-
| 143
| Rahul Roy
| Indian actor, producer and model
|
|-
| 144
| Rakhee Joshi
| Consultant, Social Research
|
|-
| 145
| Rana Behal
| Teach history at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi
|
|-
| 146
| Rashmi Gera
|
|
|-
| 147
| Rebecca Mammen John
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 148
| Reena George
| Ph.D. Student
|
|-
| 149
| Richa Berry
| Actor
|
|-
| 150
| Richa Minocha
| Member Secretary, Jan Abhiyan Sanstha, Himachal Pradesh
|
|-
| 151
| Rimple Mehta
| JU-SYLFF Doctoral Fellow, Jadavpur University
|
|-
| 152
| Rituparna Borah
|
|
|-
| 153
| Ruchi Gupta
| Public policy practitioner
|
|-
| 154
| Ruth Sequeira
|
|
|-
| 155
| S. Anand
| Publisher, Navayana
|
|-
| 156
| S. Thambisetty
| Professor, LSE
|
|-
| 157
| Sabeena Gadihoke
| Indian academic and filmmaker
|
|-
| 158
| Sagari R Ramdas
| Veterinary scientist
|
|-
| 159
| Sameer Sain
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 160
| Samira Sheikh
|
|
|-
| 161
| Sanchia de Souza
| A historian of food and India from Mumbai
|
|-
| 162
| Sankar Sen
| IPS, Retd Director, National Police Academy; DG (Investigations, NHRC)
|
|-
| 163
| Sashwati Mishra
|
|
|-
| 164
| Saumya Bahuguna
| Social Worker
|
|-
| 165
| Saumya Uma
| Consultant on Gender, Law and Human Rights
|
|-
| 166
| Shakil Ahmad
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 167
| Shalini Gera
| Human rights lawyer
|
|-
| 168
| Shankar Raman
| Cinematographer
|
|-
| 169
| Shankar Singh
| social and political activist
|
|-
| 170
| Shivam Vij
| Journalist
|
|-
| 171
| Shreela Manohar
| Researcher and Activist
|
|-
| 172
| Shruti Gupta
| Telecom Professional
|
|-
| 173
| Siddharth Narrain
| Alternative Law Forum
|
|-
| 174
| Siddhartha Sharma
| LL.M student, Berkeley
|
|-
| 175
| Simin Lakhani
|
|
|-
| 176
| Sneha Krishnan
|
|
|-
| 177
| Sonal Shah
| Editor
|
|-
| 178
| Srila Roy
|
|
|-
| 179
| Suchi Pande
| Accountability Research Center, School of International Service, American University
|
|-
| 180
| Sujato Bhadra
| Professor, Activist (W.B)
|
|-
| 181
| Sukla Sen
|
|
|-
| 182
| Sumi Krishna
| Feminist scholar and writer based in Bangalore
|
|-
| 183
| Surabhi Chopra
| Law Professor.
|
|-
| 184
| Suroor Mander
| Advocate
|
|-
| 185
| Surya Shankar Dash
|
|
|-
| 186
| Susan Abraham
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 187
| Swarnlata Mahilkar
| Feminist activist
|
|-
| 188
| Swastayan Roy
| Journalist
|
|-
| 189
| Tara Chambers
|
|
|-
| 190
| Tarun Bhartiya
| Documentary film maker
|
|-
| 191
| Urvija Priyadarshini
| Ph.D. Student
|
|-
| 192
| V. Venkatesan
| Journalist
|
|-
| 193
| Valmiki Naik
|
|
|-
| 194
| Ved Kumari
| Professor of Law
|
|-
| 195
| Veena Gowda
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 196
| Vijay Hiremath
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 197
| Vijay Raghavan
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 198
| Vivek Sundara
| Ph.D student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 199
| Vrinda Grover
| Lawyer
| Human rights lawyer.
|-
| 200
| Yug Mohit Chaudhry
| Lawyer
| Lawyer associated with the clemency petition.
|-
| 201
| Zubin Bharucha
| Cricket Coach
|
|}

==See also==

* [[Ajmal Kasab]]
* [[2008 Mumbai attacks]]
* [[Capital punishment in India]]
* [[Executive clemency]]
* [[Pranab Mukherjee]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:Capital punishment in India]]
[[Category:Lists of people from India]]
[[Category:Lists of people by political position]]

File:Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.jpg

2026-07-16T06:21:41Z

BellaCH: BellaCH uploaded File:Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.jpg

== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description= Image of [[Ajmal Kasab]], one of the ten terrorists involved in the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] at the [[Victoria Terminus]] station taken at the [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station]] by Sebastian D'Souza of the ''[[Mumbai Mirror]]''.
|Source= Taken from [https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2009/30612/1/2009-sebastian-d-souza-sns-hm-ak here]
|Date=26 November 2008
|Author= Sebastian D'Souza
|Permission=
|Replaceability= No
|Low_resolution= Yes
|location = [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station]], [[Mumbai]]
|other_versions=
}}
{{Non-free fair use in|2008 Mumbai attacks|image has rationale=yes}}

== Rationale of fair use for [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] ==
#The image's inclusion in the article is important because it illustrates the content discussed in the article.
#The image is being used solely for informational purposes only.
#No free or public domain images have been located for this subject or can be created for the purpose that this image serves.
#Only a low resolution, cropped version of the original image is being used.
#The image is of historic importance. A ''New York Times'' article called it a "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/world/asia/28iht-mumbai.1.18954955.html singular iconic image of the attacks]"
#The image is of an historic event of great significance that would never occur again, and therefore cannot be replaced with free media.

== Rationale of fair use for [[Ajmal Kasab]] ==
#The image's inclusion in the article is important because it illustrates the content discussed in the article.
#The image is being used solely for informational purposes only.
#No free or public domain images have been located for this subject or can be created for the purpose that this image serves.
#Only a low resolution, cropped version of the original image is being used.
#The image is of historic importance. A ''New York Times'' article called it a "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/world/asia/28iht-mumbai.1.18954955.html singular iconic image of the attacks]"
#The person died (was executed) on 21 November, 2012 it may not be possible to collect a free image anymore.
#The image is of an historic event of great significance that would never occur again, and therefore cannot be replaced with free media.

[[Category:Participants in the 2008 Mumbai attacks]]

List of signatories to the Ajmal Kasab mercy petition

2026-07-16T06:02:10Z

BellaCH: List page

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2026}}
{{Short description|List of signatories to the 2012 clemency petition for Ajmal Kasab}}

The '''2012 clemency petition for Ajmal Kasab''' was a public appeal submitted to the [[President of India]] requesting that the death sentence imposed on [[Ajmal Kasab]], the sole surviving terrorist of the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], be commuted to life imprisonment.<ref name="Oneindia">{{cite news |title=Over 200 Indians had urged Prez Pranab not to hang Kasab |url=https://www.oneindia.com/2012/11/21/over-200-indians-had-urged-president-not-to-hang-kasab-1102141.html |work=Oneindia |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

The petition was organised by Mumbai-based advocate [[Yug Mohit Chaudhry]] following the dismissal of Kasab's judicial appeals and before the disposal of his constitutional mercy petition. It was signed by more than 200 members of Indian civil society, including lawyers, academics, journalists, writers, artists, retired public officials and human rights activists.<ref name="Oneindia" />

The signatories stated that their appeal was based on principled opposition to capital punishment rather than support for Kasab or his actions.<ref name="AmnestyPress">{{cite web |title=Kasab execution represents Indian death penalty backslide |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2012/11/kasab-execution-represents-indian-death-penalty-backslide/ |publisher=Amnesty International |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

==Background==

[[Ajmal Kasab]], the only surviving terrorist of the ten gunmen who carried out the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], was convicted by a special court in Mumbai on 3 May 2010 on multiple charges, including murder, waging war against India and offences under anti-terrorism legislation. He was sentenced to death on 6 May 2010. The conviction and sentence were subsequently upheld by the [[Bombay High Court]] on 21 February 2011 and by the [[Supreme Court of India]] on 29 August 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=26/11 terror attacks case: Supreme Court upholds Kasab's death sentence |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/2611-terror-attacks-case-sc-upholds-kasabs-death-sentence/ |work=The Indian Express |date=29 August 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bombay HC upholds Kasab's death sentence |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bombay-hc-upholds-kasabs-death-sentence/article1478204.ece |work=The Hindu |date=21 February 2011 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

Following the dismissal of his judicial appeals, Kasab submitted a mercy petition to the [[President of India]] under Article 72 of the Constitution. During the pendency of the petition, a group of lawyers, academics, writers, journalists and human rights activists submitted a separate public appeal requesting that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. The petition argued that the death penalty should not be imposed regardless of the nature of the atrocity and described the appeal as an affirmation of opposition to capital punishment rather than a defence of Kasab's crimes.<ref name="EconomicTimes">{{cite news |title=Ajmal Kasab's mercy petition last among 12 pending petitions in President Pranab Mukherjee's office |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ajmal-kasabs-mercy-petition-last-among-12-pending-petitions-in-president-pranab-mukherjees-office/articleshow/17012050.cms |work=The Economic Times |date=31 October 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="AmnestyPDF">{{cite web |title=Kasab execution represents Indian death penalty backslide |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/asa200372012en.pdf |publisher=Amnesty International |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

President [[Pranab Mukherjee]] rejected Kasab's mercy petition on 5 November 2012 following the recommendation of the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]. Kasab was executed by hanging at [[Yerawada Central Jail]] in Pune on 21 November 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mercy denied: The execution list before NDA |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/mercy-denied-the-execution-list-before-nda/ |work=The Indian Express |date=26 July 2015 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref><ref name="IndiaToday">{{cite news |title=Kasab executed at Yerawada Jail |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/afzal-guru-hanging/story/death-row-ajmal-kasab-afzal-guru-india-today-122166-2012-11-22 |work=India Today |date=22 November 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

==Petition==

The clemency petition was organised by Mumbai-based advocate [[Yug Mohit Chaudhry]] following the exhaustion of Ajmal Kasab's judicial remedies. Addressed to President [[Pranab Mukherjee]], it requested that Kasab's death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment under the President's constitutional power of clemency.<ref name="Oneindia" /><ref name="EconomicTimes" />

The signatories stated that their appeal was founded on principled opposition to capital punishment rather than sympathy for Kasab or justification of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. They argued that the abolition of the death penalty was consistent with international human rights principles and urged the President to commute the sentence irrespective of the gravity of the crimes.<ref name="AmnestyPDF" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Terrorists, mercy petitions and the great hypocrisy |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/terrorists-mercy-petitions-and-the-great-hypocrisy/article4204084.ece |work=The Hindu |date=11 December 2012 |access-date=15 July 2026}}</ref>

The petition was signed by members of civil society from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including lawyers, academics, journalists, writers, artists, retired civil servants and human rights activists. Following President Mukherjee's rejection of Kasab's mercy petition on 5 November 2012, the clemency request became infructuous, and Kasab was executed on 21 November 2012.<ref name="IndiaToday" />

==Signatories==

The following individuals were identified as signatories to the 2012 clemency petition requesting that the death sentence imposed on Ajmal Kasab be commuted to life imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of People Who Signed Ajmal Kasab’s Mercy Petition |url=https://advocatetanmoy.com/list-of-people-who-signed-ajmal-kasabs-mercy-petition/ |website=Advocatetanmoy Law Library |date=13 February 2019}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! No.
! Name
! Occupation / Affiliation
! Notes
|-
| 1
| A. K. Jayasree
| A gender activist
|
|-
| 2
| Aakar Patel
| Journalist
| Journalist and author.
|-
| 3
| Aamir Bashir
| Actor and Director
|
|-
| 4
| Abbas Kazmi
| Lawyer
| Defence counsel during Ajmal Kasab trial.
|-
| 5
| Abdul Wahab Khan
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 6
| Abha Bhaiya
| Indian feminist activist and cofounder of Jagori Rural Charitable Trust
|
|-
| 7
| Achin Vanaik
| Political scientist and author
|
|-
| 8
| Aditi Khanna
| Senior Correspondent, Press Trust of India
|
|-
| 9
| Ajaya Kumar Singh
| a Catholic priest, and human rights activist
|
|-
| 10
| Akshay Pathak
|
|
|-
| 11
| Amba Kak
| Researcher
|
|-
| 12
| Amin Solkar
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 13
| Amita Chatterjee
|
|
|-
| 14
| Amitabha Pande
|
|
|-
| 15
| Amrita Nandy
| Jawaharlal Nehru University
|
|-
| 16
| Amrita Shodhan
| School of African and Asian Studies, UK
|
|-
| 17
| Andaleeb Alam
| Social Worker
|
|-
| 18
| Anish Grewal
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 19
| Anita Cherian
| Asst. Prof, Eng. Dept, Indraprastha
|
|-
| 20
| Anjali Dave
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 21
| Anju Talukdar
| Assistant project co-ordinator of the Disability Law Unit, advocacy for various social issues.
|
|-
| 22
| Anu Salelkar
| Anubhuti Trust
|
|-
| 23
| Anuj Bhagwati
| Entrepreneur
|
|-
| 24
| Anuradha Chenoy
| Adjunct Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs
|
|-
| 25
| Anusha Rizvi
| Consultant on Gender, Law, and Human Rights
|
|-
| 26
| Apoorva Kaivar
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 27
| Aruna Roy
| Indian social activist and professor
|
|-
| 28
| Aseem Shrivastava
| A Delhi based environmental economist, activist, and a writer
|
|-
| 29
| Ashish Kothari
| an activist and researcher focusing on environment, development, democracy, and alternatives
|
|-
| 30
| Ashok Agarwaal
| A Civil Rights Group Advocate
|
|-
| 31
| Babloo Loitongbam
| Human rights activist
|
|-
| 32
| Babu Mathew
| Professor of Law
|
|-
| 33
| Balaji Narasimhan
| Professor
|
|-
| 34
| Beena Choksi
| Social Activist
|
|-
| 35
| Bhairavi Sanghi
| Designer
|
|-
| 36
| Bharti Ali
| Development professional and social activist
|
|-
| 37
| Bhaskar Hazarika
| Film director makes films in Assamese
|
|-
| 38
| Binoo John
| Journalist based in New Delhi
|
|-
| 39
| Biraj Patnaik
|
|
|-
| 40
| Bondita Acharya
| Director of Purva Bharati Educational Trust
|
|-
| 41
| Brinda Bose
| Professor of English at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
|
|-
| 42
| Byatha N. Jagadeesh
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 43
| Chetan Mali
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 44
| Colin Gonsalves
| Senior Advocate, Supreme Court.
| Senior Advocate; founder of Human Rights Law Network.
|-
| 45
| Dale Luis Menezes
| Assistant Professor of History Global Studies University
|
|-
| 46
| Deepti
| Saheli
|
|-
| 47
| Devaki Jain
| Development Economist and Writer
| Development economist and writer.
|-
| 48
| Dilip D’Souza
| Journalist
|
|-
| 49
| Dilip Simeon
| Public intellectual
|
|-
| 50
| Dr Ambrose Pinto SJ
| Administrator, St Joseph’s Evening Colleges, Bangalore
|
|-
| 51
| Dr Sandeep Bakshi
| Postdoctoral Fellow, English.
|
|-
| 52
| Dr. Akhil Katyal
| Assistant Professor Delhi University
|
|-
| 53
| Dr. Madhav Thambisetty
| Professor of Medicine
|
|-
| 54
| Dr. Prashant Kidambi
| Lecturer in History, Univ. of Leicester.
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|-
| 55
| Dr. Walter Fernandes
| North Eastern Social Research Centre
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|-
| 56
| Dunu Roy
| Social activist, political ecologist, social scientist, and Director of the Hazards Centre (New Delhi)
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|-
| 57
| Flavia Agnes
| Lawyer
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| 58
| Forum Against Opression of Women, Mumbai
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| 59
| Gabriele Dietrich
| Sociology Professor at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary
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| 60
| Gana Kurinji Shanmugasundaram
| Vice-president, PUCL, (Tamil Nadu & Puduchery)
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| 61
| Gaurav Sinha
| Lawyer
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|-
| 62
| Gautam Babbar
| United Nations
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|-
| 63
| Gautam Patel
| Lawyer
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|-
| 64
| Gayatri Menon
| Social scientist, activist
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|-
| 65
| Geeta Thatra
| Research Fellow, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
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|-
| 66
| Gopal Krishna
| Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)
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|-
| 67
| Gulnar Bandukwalla Pruisken
| Entrepreneur
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|-
| 68
| HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
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|
|-
| 69
| Harish Dhawan
| Associate Prof. in Eco, Univ. of Delhi
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|-
| 70
| Harsh Bora
| Lawyer
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|-
| 71
| Harsh Kapoor
| Indian sociologist, internet activist, and human rights defender
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|-
| 72
| Harsh Mander
| Social Activist, NAC Member
| Former IAS officer and social activist.
|-
| 73
| Jacob Matthan
| Social Influencer
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|-
| 74
| Jagmohan Singh
| Politician and a member of Aam Aadmi Party (presently)
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|-
| 75
| Jamal Kidwai
| Sixth Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia
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|-
| 76
| Jashodhara Dasgupta
| Independent researcher, policy analyst and community action expert
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|-
| 77
| Javed Iqbal
| Journalist
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|-
| 78
| Jayasree Subramanian
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 79
| Jeny Antony
| Indian actress and model
|
|-
| 80
| Jinee Lokaneeta
| Associate Professor, Political Science
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|-
| 81
| Joe Athialy
|
|
|-
| 82
| Jyoti Punwani
| Journalist
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|-
| 83
| K. P. Shankaran
| Lecturer (Retd) in Philosophy
|
|-
| 84
| Kalpana Kannabiran
| Director of Research and Legal Outreach at the Asmita Resource Centre for Women in Secunderabad
|
|-
| 85
| Kalyani Menon Sen
| Feminist Learning Partnerships
|
|-
| 86
| Kamal Mitra Chenoy
|
|
|-
| 87
| Kamayani Bali Mahabal
| Mumbai-based human rights lawyer, feminist, and journalist
|
|-
| 88
| Kamla Bhasin
| Social Scientist
| Feminist author and activist.
|-
| 89
| Kanamma Raman
| Rights activist, and former Professor in Politics at the University of Mumbai’s Department of Civics and Politics
|
|-
| 90
| Kareem Sait
|
|
|-
| 91
| Kasim Sait
| Lawyer
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|-
| 92
| Kavita Punjabi
| Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
|
|-
| 93
| Kiran Bhatty
| Independent Researcher
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|-
| 94
| Kiran Shaheen
| Gender justice activist and journalist from Bihar
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|-
| 95
| Kritika Agarwal
|
|
|-
| 96
| Kunjam Pandu Dora
| Adivasi (indigenous) leader and human rights activist from Andhra Pradesh
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|-
| 97
| Lalita Ramdas
| Activist, actively involved in promoting alternative education, gender sensitivity, secularism
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|-
| 98
| Laxmi Murthy
| a women’s right activist
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|-
| 99
| Madhoo
|
|
|-
| 100
| Madhu Sarin
| Psychoanalyst
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|-
| 101
| Madhumita Dutta
| Activist, assistant professor at the Ohio State University since 2017
|
|-
| 102
| Maharukh Adenwalla
| Lawyer
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|-
| 103
| Mahasveta Devi
| Writer
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|-
| 104
| Mahmood Farooqui
| Historian, Artist, Filmmaker.
| Writer, filmmaker and Dastangoi performer.
|-
| 105
| Malani S
|
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|-
| 106
| Manisha Sethi
| Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association
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|-
| 107
| Manohar Elavarthi
| Praja Rajakiya Vedike, Bangalore
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|-
| 108
| Mansoor Nazeer
| Author
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|-
| 109
| Mary Scaria
| Lawyer
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| 110
| Mayank Misra
| Lawyer
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| 111
| Meenal Baghel
| Editor, Mumbai Mirror
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|-
| 112
| Meghna Vesvikar
| Social Work, Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
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|-
| 113
| Mukul Mahant
| Social Activist
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| 114
| Murtaza Danish Husaini
| Actor and Dramatist.
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| 115
| N. Jayaram
| Journalist
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|-
| 116
| Nachiket Udupa
| Indian think tank
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|-
| 117
| Naima Shaikh
| Lawyer
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|-
| 118
| Namisha Gupta
| Author
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|-
| 119
| Namita Kohli
| Student
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| 120
| Nandini Dey
|
|
|-
| 121
| Nandita Das
| Actress
| Actress and filmmaker.
|-
| 122
| Naresh Fernandes
| Writer
|
|-
| 123
| Navsharan Singh
| Human rights activist and feminist researcher
|
|-
| 124
| Neeraj Malilk
| Indian feminist, academic, and civil rights activist
|
|-
| 125
| Neha Choksi
| Women empowerment activist
|
|-
| 126
| Neha Mujumdar
|
|
|-
| 127
| Nikhil Dey
| Indian social activist
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|-
| 128
| Nikhil Kumar
|
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| 129
| Nikita Agarwal
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|
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| 130
| Nisha Biswas
| Activism,human rights, democracy, and minority rights
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|-
| 131
| Paari Vendan
| Lawyer
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|-
| 132
| Padma Deosthali
| Researcher and policy advocacy
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|-
| 133
| Padmini Mirchandani
| Publisher
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| 134
| Parul Gupta
| Language Teacher
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| 135
| Peoples’ Union for Democratic Rights
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| 136
| Pritam Bhatty
| Artist
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| 137
| Priyanka Vegad
| Lawyer
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| 138
| Prof Rupin Desai
| Professor of English (retd)
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| 139
| Puneet Kohli
|
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| 140
| Purnima Gupta
| A feminist and women’s rights activist
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|-
| 141
| Radha Thomas
| Singer
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|-
| 142
| Rafiul Alom Rahman
| Student
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| 143
| Rahul Roy
| Indian actor, producer and model
|
|-
| 144
| Rakhee Joshi
| Consultant, Social Research
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|-
| 145
| Rana Behal
| Teach history at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi
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|-
| 146
| Rashmi Gera
|
|
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| 147
| Rebecca Mammen John
| Lawyer
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|-
| 148
| Reena George
| Ph.D. Student
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|-
| 149
| Richa Berry
| Actor
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|-
| 150
| Richa Minocha
| Member Secretary, Jan Abhiyan Sanstha, Himachal Pradesh
|
|-
| 151
| Rimple Mehta
| JU-SYLFF Doctoral Fellow, Jadavpur University
|
|-
| 152
| Rituparna Borah
|
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| 153
| Ruchi Gupta
| Public policy practitioner
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|-
| 154
| Ruth Sequeira
|
|
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| 155
| S. Anand
| Publisher, Navayana
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| 156
| S. Thambisetty
| Professor, LSE
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|-
| 157
| Sabeena Gadihoke
| Indian academic and filmmaker
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|-
| 158
| Sagari R Ramdas
| Veterinary scientist
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|-
| 159
| Sameer Sain
| Entrepreneur
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|-
| 160
| Samira Sheikh
|
|
|-
| 161
| Sanchia de Souza
| A historian of food and India from Mumbai
|
|-
| 162
| Sankar Sen
| IPS, Retd Director, National Police Academy; DG (Investigations, NHRC)
|
|-
| 163
| Sashwati Mishra
|
|
|-
| 164
| Saumya Bahuguna
| Social Worker
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|-
| 165
| Saumya Uma
| Consultant on Gender, Law and Human Rights
|
|-
| 166
| Shakil Ahmad
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 167
| Shalini Gera
| Human rights lawyer
|
|-
| 168
| Shankar Raman
| Cinematographer
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|-
| 169
| Shankar Singh
| social and political activist
|
|-
| 170
| Shivam Vij
| Journalist
|
|-
| 171
| Shreela Manohar
| Researcher and Activist
|
|-
| 172
| Shruti Gupta
| Telecom Professional
|
|-
| 173
| Siddharth Narrain
| Alternative Law Forum
|
|-
| 174
| Siddhartha Sharma
| LL.M student, Berkeley
|
|-
| 175
| Simin Lakhani
|
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|-
| 176
| Sneha Krishnan
|
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| 177
| Sonal Shah
| Editor
|
|-
| 178
| Srila Roy
|
|
|-
| 179
| Suchi Pande
| Accountability Research Center, School of International Service, American University
|
|-
| 180
| Sujato Bhadra
| Professor, Activist (W.B)
|
|-
| 181
| Sukla Sen
|
|
|-
| 182
| Sumi Krishna
| Feminist scholar and writer based in Bangalore
|
|-
| 183
| Surabhi Chopra
| Law Professor.
|
|-
| 184
| Suroor Mander
| Advocate
|
|-
| 185
| Surya Shankar Dash
|
|
|-
| 186
| Susan Abraham
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 187
| Swarnlata Mahilkar
| Feminist activist
|
|-
| 188
| Swastayan Roy
| Journalist
|
|-
| 189
| Tara Chambers
|
|
|-
| 190
| Tarun Bhartiya
| Documentary film maker
|
|-
| 191
| Urvija Priyadarshini
| Ph.D. Student
|
|-
| 192
| V. Venkatesan
| Journalist
|
|-
| 193
| Valmiki Naik
|
|
|-
| 194
| Ved Kumari
| Professor of Law
|
|-
| 195
| Veena Gowda
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 196
| Vijay Hiremath
| Lawyer
|
|-
| 197
| Vijay Raghavan
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 198
| Vivek Sundara
| Ph.D student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences
|
|-
| 199
| Vrinda Grover
| Lawyer
| Human rights lawyer.
|-
| 200
| Yug Mohit Chaudhry
| Lawyer
| Lawyer associated with the clemency petition.
|-
| 201
| Zubin Bharucha
| Cricket Coach
|
|}

==See also==

* [[Ajmal Kasab]]
* [[2008 Mumbai attacks]]
* [[Capital punishment in India]]
* [[Executive clemency]]
* [[Pranab Mukherjee]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:Capital punishment in India]]
[[Category:Lists of people from India]]
[[Category:Lists of people by political position]]

Jaswant Singh Khalra

2026-07-12T05:21:31Z

BellaCH: Image changed

{{Short description|Indian human rights activist and political essayist (1952–1995)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jaswant Singh Khalra
| image = Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg
| caption = Jaswant Singh Khalra speaking at Gurudwara Sahib in Canada
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = [[Khalra]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_place = [[Chabhal Kalan]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|1952}}
| death_cause = [[Extrajudicial execution]]
| occupation = [[Human rights activist]], General Secretary of Human Rights Wing of [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], Political essayist
| spouse = Paramjit Kaur Khalra
}}

'''Jaswant Singh Khalra''' (1952–1995)<ref name="amnesty1995">{{Cite news |date=6 September 1995 |title=India: Fear of disappearance / fear of torture: Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/026/1995/en/ |work=Amnesty International}}</ref> was an Indian bank director, human rights activist, and political essayist. He gained international recognition after uncovering evidence of thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal cremations carried out by the Punjab Police during the counter-insurgency operations in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="amnesty1998">{{Cite web |date=31 March 1998 |title=India: A Mockery of Justice: The case concerning the “disappearance” of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra severely undermined |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/007/1998/en/ |website=Amnesty International |publisher=Amnesty International |language=en |access-date=2026-07-12}}</ref>

Alongside his documentation of human rights abuses, contemporary archives, intelligence narratives, and political records outline Khalra's ideological alignment with the [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan separatist movement]], his public defense of militant figures, and accusations from state authorities regarding anti-national activities aimed at challenging Indian sovereignty.<ref name="baaz2026">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baaznews.org/p/khalra-game-of-elections-khalistan |title=The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not? |website=www.baaznews.org |access-date=2026-07-10}}</ref> He was abducted from outside his home in [[Amritsar]] on 6 September 1995 and was subsequently murdered in police custody, culminating in the conviction and life imprisonment of six [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] officials.<ref name="sc2011" />

== Activism and Cremation Investigations ==
{{Further|Human rights abuses in Punjab, India}}
Jaswant Singh Khalra served as the director of a cooperative bank in the city of [[Amritsar]] during the militancy period in Punjab. Following [[Operation Blue Star]], the [[assassination of Indira Gandhi]], and the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]], security forces were granted sweeping emergency powers to counter armed separatism. The police were subsequently accused of killing unarmed suspects in staged shootouts and burning thousands of unidentified bodies to cover up custodial deaths.<ref name="huffpost2018">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Harman |date=11 September 2018 |title=Every Canadian Should Know The Tale Of This Murdered Sikh Activist |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/jaswant-singh-khalra-canada_ca_5cd56686e4b07bc72977c213 |work=Huff Post}}</ref>

While searching for colleagues who went missing, Khalra discovered files from the municipal corporation of Amritsar containing the names, ages, and addresses of individuals who had been secretly cremated by the police.<ref name="huffpost2018"/> His investigation asserted that approximately 25,000 Sikhs had been illegally killed and cremated by the state across multiple districts.<ref name="ahmed">The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia, p. 74, Taylor & Francis, by Ishtiaq Ahmed.</ref>

The [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) and the [[Supreme Court of India]] subsequently verified the data in part, concluding that the police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in [[Tarn Taran district]] alone.<ref name="ahmed"/> The [[National Human Rights Commission of India]] also certified the validity of the identified bodies cremated within the police districts of Amritsar, [[Majitha]], and Tarn Taran between June 1984 and December 1994.

== Khalistani Alignment and Separatist Ideology ==
Parallel to his investigations into state excesses, historical records and political texts detail Khalra’s close relationship with the ideological frameworks of the Khalistan movement. State authorities and nationalist critics classified his platforms and publications as subversive, anti-national claims designed to delegitimize the territorial integrity of the Indian union.<ref name="jaijee">Politics of genocide: Punjab, 1984-1998, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, p.101, Inderjit Singh Jaijee, 1999</ref>

=== Support for Militancy and Bhindranwale ===
In his public rhetoric and political mobilization, Khalra maintained a distinct ideological affinity for [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] and the foundational ethos of the armed resistance initiated during the early phases of the insurgency. Following the military entry into the [[Golden Temple]] complex in 1984, Khalra frequently valorized those who took up arms against the state, portraying the militancy not as terrorism, but as a legitimate response to state-sponsored repression and a necessary struggle for a sovereign, theocratic Sikh homeland.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

=== Anti-State Essays and Electoral Boycott ===
Khalra openly rejected the constitutional authority of the secular Indian government in Punjab. His political philosophy was explicitly outlined in his essay, ''"The Game Of Elections - Should It Be Played Or Not?"'', which was originally published in February 1992 in the separatist organ ''Liberation Khalistan''.<ref name="baaz2026"/>

In the essay, Khalra vehemently argued against public participation in the state assembly elections organized by the central government, characterizing the democratic process as an illegitimate ruse by an occupying power. He asserted:
{{Quote|text=The state organizes these elections not to grant freedom, but to drape its tyranny in the garb of democracy. Participating in this game only strengthens the chains of the Indian state over the Sikh nation.|sign=Jaswant Singh Khalra, February 1992|source=''Liberation Khalistan''}}

Intelligence agencies and state officials frequently pointed to these public declarations and his active ties to separatist factions to argue that his human rights apparatus was heavily leveraged to provide ideological cover and propaganda support to active terrorist groups.<ref name="jaijee"/>

== Murder and Judicial Proceedings ==
On 6 September 1995, Khalra was abducted from outside his house in Amritsar by personnel of the Punjab Police and taken to the Jhabal Police Station.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> Although witnesses gave statements implicating the police and named Director General of Police [[Kanwar Pal Singh Gill]] as a co-conspirator,<ref>{{cite web|title=K.P.S. Gill visited Khalra in jail, says witness|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050217/punjab1.htm|date=17 February 2005|publisher=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India}}</ref> authorities initially denied detaining him, suggesting he had gone underground or fled the country.

In 1996, the CBI uncovered formal evidence that Khalra had been held illegally, tortured, and subsequently murdered in custody. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine officials.<ref name="amnesty1998"/> On 18 November 2005, six Punjab police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder, with Deputy Superintendent Jaspal Singh and Amarjit Singh receiving life sentences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|title=Punjab Cops Convicted of 1995 Murder of Activist Khalra|publisher=Ensaaf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123135906/http://www.ensaaf.org/news/pr2005-11-18.php|archive-date=23 November 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 October 2007, the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] extended the life imprisonment sentences to the remaining four accused police officers: Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh, and Prithipal Singh.<ref>{{cite web|date=16 October 2007 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Khalra-murder-case-HC-grants-life-imprisonment-to-4-cops/articleshow/2464188.cms |title=Khalra murder case: HC grants life imprisonment to 4 cops |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

On 11 April 2011, the Supreme Court of India dismissed the final appeals of the convicted officers in ''Prithpal Singh v. State of Punjab'', scathingly criticizing the lawless atrocities committed by the police during the counter-insurgency era, while affirming that the ideological leanings of a citizen did not absolve the state of extrajudicial murder.<ref name="sc2011">{{cite news|title=Activist Khalra custodial death: SC upholds life in jail for Punjab cops|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=5 November 2011 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-upholds-life-term-for-Punjab-cops/articleshow/10613312.cms}}</ref>

== Complex Legacy and Media ==
Khalra's legacy remains deeply polarized within political and historical discourse:
* Sikh Diaspora and Activists: Revered widely as a martyr (''Shaheed''). The [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) and other religious institutions regularly hold annual ''shaheedi samagams'' in his memory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 September 2020 |title=Akal Takht pays tribute to activist Jaswant Singh Khalra |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/akal-takht-pays-tribute-to-activist-jaswant-singh-khalra-137491/ |work=The Tribune}}</ref> In international spaces, such as Fresno, California, public infrastructure has been dedicated in his name, comparing his civil investigations to Western civil rights movements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/california-city-renames-park-after-sikh-human-rights-advocate-n799261|title=California city names park after Sikh human rights advocate|website=NBC News|date=6 September 2017}}</ref>
* Nationalist and Security Analysts: Viewed as an ideological operative who utilized human rights campaigns to obscure his deep-seated alignment with violent Khalistani terrorists, subvert secular democratic institutions, and promote an anti-national, theocratic agenda against the Indian state.<ref name="jaijee"/>

=== Biographical Film ===
In July 2026, the biographical drama ''[[Satluj (film)|Satluj]]'' (initially titled ''Ghalughara'' and later ''Punjab '95''), starring [[Diljit Dosanjh]] as Khalra, was released globally on the streaming service [[ZEE5]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2026-07-03 |title=Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj,’ Formerly ‘Punjab ’95’ That Was Pulled From Toronto, Streams Uncut on ZEE5 Global |url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-punjab-95-uncut-zee5-global-1236801418/ |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The film's release had been delayed for years due to intense scrutiny from the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] (CBFC), which initially demanded 127 cuts to mitigate the polarization surrounding its portrayal of the sensitive political environment and anti-insurgency operations of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yasmin |first=Shahana |date=7 July 2026 |title=Why a Diljit Dosanjh film released after a four-year battle with censors was gone within two days |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/diljit-dosanjh-satluj-removed-streaming-zee5-cbfc-censorship-b3009719.html |work=The Independent}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Timeline of the insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Insurgency in Punjab, India]]
* [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008060430/http://www.ensaaf.org/pdf/reduced/chapter1-vol1.pdf Detailed biography of Jaswant Singh Khalra] (PDF) from ''Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab'' by Ram Narayan Kumar et al.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalra, Jaswant Singh}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1995 murders in India]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Activists from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Deaths in police custody in India]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:Insurgency in Punjab]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in India]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement]]

File:Jaswant Singh Khalra.jpg

2026-07-12T05:21:01Z

BellaCH: Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.

== Summary ==
Jaswant Singh Khalra at the desk of the Khalistan Liberation Movement International, highlighting the ideological ties to the separatist movement that ran parallel to his human rights investigations.

B. B. Gopakumar

2026-06-19T13:41:40Z

BellaCH: New page created

{{Short description|Indian politician}}{{Infobox officeholder|name=B. B. Gopakumar|image=File:B-B-Gopakumar-BJP.jpg|caption=|office=[[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]|constituency=[[Chathannoor Assembly constituency|Chathannoor]]|term_start=4 May 2026|term_end=|predecessor=[[G. S. Jayalal]]|successor=|office1=[[Bharatiya Janata Party – Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram Zonal President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala]]|1blankname1=Party President|1namedata1=[[Nitin Nabin]]|office2=Legislative Party Leader, [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]], [[BJP]]|1blankname=|1namedata=|term_start1=|term_end1=|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1966|01|01|df=yes}}|birth_place=[[Kollam district|Kollam]], [[Kerala]], India|party=[[Bharatiya Janata Party]]|parents=Balakrishnan (father)|alma_mater=[[University of Kerala|Sree Narayana College, Kollam]] {{small|([[Master of Arts|MA]])}} <br>[[Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Education|BEd]])}}|occupation=Politician, Retired Teacher}}

'''B. B. Gopakumar''' (born c. 1966) is an Indian politician and retired teacher from Kerala belonging to the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). In May 2026, he was elected to the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] from the [[Chathannoor Assembly constituency]], marking the first time the BJP secured a legislative seat in the [[Kollam district]].<ref name="TheHindu_May2026">{{cite news|last1=Sudhish|first1=Navamy|title=Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: BJP breaches the Left bastion of Chathannur|url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/kerala-assembly/kerala-assembly-elections-2026-bjp-breaches-the-left-bastion-of-chathannur/article70938572.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=4 May 2026|access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref> In 2026, he become the BJP's first ever speaker candidate in the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]. He was later appointed as the Parliamentary Party leader of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] in the 16th [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]].

== Early life and education ==
Gopakumar was born to Balakrishnan in a [[Ezhava]] family from Kollam.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Daily|first=Keralakaumudi|title=No mistake on third attempt; BJP's secret trump card from Chathannur delivers|url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/no-mistake-on-third-attempt-bjps-secret-trump-card-from-chathannur-delivers-1741858|access-date=2026-05-12|website=Keralakaumudi Daily|language=en}}</ref> He completed his Post Graduation (MA) from Sree Narayana College, Kollam under [[University of Kerala]] between 1989 and 1991. He later obtained a B.Ed from the [[Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit]], Kalady, in 1997.<ref name="MyNeta2026">{{cite web|title=B.B.Gopakumar (BJP) Affidavit Information|url=https://www.myneta.info/Kerala2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=53|website=MyNeta.info|publisher=Association for Democratic Reforms|access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==
Before entering full-time politics, Gopakumar spent three decades working as an educator in the local school system, where he is widely referred to locally as "Gopan Sir." <ref>{{cite news|date=4 May 2026|title=B.B. Gopakumar Wins Chathannoor: NDA Secures Historic Assembly Seat in Kollam|work=Mathrubhumi|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/election/kerala-assembly-election-2026/bb-gopakumar-wins-chathannoor-2026-election-qmtcvs2g|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref>

He was a teacher at the Sree Narayana Trust Higher Secondary School (SN Trust HSS) in Chathannoor.<ref>{{cite news|date=13 May 2026|title=New BJP star in Kerala: MLA Gopakumar, who joined the party during a missed call drive|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/new-bjp-star-in-kerala-mla-gopakumar-who-joined-the-party-during-a-missed-call-drive-10687927/|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref> Over the course of his thirty-year tenure at the institution, he was promoted to head teacher and later retired as the school's principal.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kumar|first=Dileep V.|date=5 May 2026|title=Teacher, technocrat, party hand: The trio behind BJP's breakthrough in Kerala|work=The South First|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/teacher-technocrat-party-hand-the-trio-behind-bjps-breakthrough-in-kerala/|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref>

== Political career ==
Gopakumar is a senior leader of the BJP in Kerala and currently serves as a State Vice President of the party.

Before his full-time transition to the BJP, Gopakumar was initially associated with the [[Indian National Congress]]. He was involved in the local public sphere under the Congress banner and served as a local body member, including a tenure as a panchayat president starting in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|last=Unnithan|first=C. P.|date=17 May 2026|title=Interview: In future, it will be Congress vs BJP in Kerala, says MLA-elect B B Gopakumar|work=The New Indian Express|url=https://newindianexpress.com|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref>

He officially transitioned to active electoral politics with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the party's missed-call membership drive. His transition into the party's electoral machinery was actively supported by the local leadership of the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), who promoted his candidacy for the Chathannoor constituency ahead of the 2016 state assembly elections.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 May 2026|title=New BJP star in Kerala: MLA Gopakumar, who joined the party during a missed call drive|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=4 May 2026|title=No mistake on third attempt; BJP's secret trump card from Chathannur delivers|work=Kerala Kaumudi|url=https://keralakaumudi.com|access-date=20 May 2026}}</ref>

He contested the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] elections from Chathannoor three times (2016, 2021, and 2026). After finishing as the runner-up in his first two attempts, he successfully breached the traditional Left stronghold in 2026.

=== Assembly election candidature history ===
{| width="45%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 94%;"
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Year
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Constituency
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Opponent
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Result
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Margin
|-
|2016
|[[Chathannoor Assembly constituency|Chathannoor]]
|[[G. S. Jayalal]] ([[Communist Party of India|CPI]])
| style="background: #FFA07A;" |Lost
| style="background: #FFA07A;" |34,407<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.in/kerala/assembly-constituencies/2016-election-results.html|title=2016 - Kerala Election Results|publisher=Elections.in|accessdate=2020-11-06}}</ref>
|-
|2021
|[[Chathannoor Assembly constituency|Chathannoor]]
|[[G. S. Jayalal]] ([[Communist Party of India|CPI]])
| style="background: #FFA07A;" |Lost
| style="background: #FFA07A;" |17,206<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.in/kerala/assembly-constituencies/2021-election-results.html|title=2021 - Kerala Election Results|publisher=Elections.in|accessdate=2021-11-06}}</ref>
|-
|2026
|[[Chathannoor Assembly constituency|Chathannoor]]
|R. Rajendran ([[Communist Party of India|CPI]])
| style="background: #98FB98;" |Won
| style="background: #98FB98;" |4,398
|}

=== 2026 Assembly Election ===
In the [[2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election]], Gopakumar defeated his nearest rival, R. Rajendran of the [[Communist Party of India]] (CPI), by a margin of 4,398 votes. He polled a total of 51,923 votes.<ref name="TOI_2026">{{cite news|title=Chathannoor election results 2026: BJP's BB Gopakumar defeats CPI's R Rajendran|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/chathannoor-election-results-2026/articleshow/130674981.cms|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=4 May 2026|access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref> His campaign focused heavily on the crisis in the local cashew industry and infrastructure development, which resonated with the labor-intensive demographic of the constituency.<ref name="FinExpress_2026">{{cite news|title=Kerala elections winners list 2026: The leaders behind BJP’s historic foothold|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/kerala-elections-winners-list-2026/4231383/|work=[[The Financial Express (India)|The Financial Express]]|date=4 May 2026|access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election: Chathannoor
! colspan="2" scope="col" |Party
! scope="col" |Candidate
! scope="col" |Votes
! scope="col" | %
! scope="col" |±%
|-
| style="background-color: {{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}" |
|[[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]
|'''B. B. Gopakumar'''
|'''51,923'''
|'''36.8'''
|'''+6.16'''
|-
| style="background-color: {{party color|Communist Party of India}}" |
|[[Communist Party of India|CPI]]
|R. Rajendran
|47,525
|33.7
| -9.45
|-
| style="background-color: {{party color|Indian National Congress}}" |
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|Sooraj Ravi
|38,112
|27.0
| +3.20
|-
! colspan="3" scope="row" |Margin of victory
|4,398
|3.1
|
|-
! colspan="3" scope="row" |Turnout
|1,41,080
|75.2
|
|-
| style="background-color: {{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}" |
| colspan="2" |BJP '''gain''' from [[Communist Party of India|CPI]]
! scope="row" |Swing
|
|
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

B. B. Gopakumar

2026-06-19T13:40:32Z

BellaCH: Article created via ArticleWizard

{{Under construction}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name = B. B. Gopakumar
| image = B-B-Gopakumar-BJP.jpg
| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)
| country = India
| term_start = 4 May 2026
| predecessor = G. S. Jayalal
| birth_date = 1 January 1966
| birth_place = Kollam, Kerala, India
| nationality = Indian
| political_party = Bharatiya Janata Party
| parents = Balakrishnan (father)
| alma_mater = Sree Narayana College, Kollam, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit
| occupation = Politician, Retired Teacher
| constituency = Chathannoor Assembly constituency
}}

'''B. B. Gopakumar''' (born 1 January 1966 in Kollam, Kerala, India) is an Indian Politician, Retired Teacher.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

Obsession (2025 film)

2026-06-19T06:56:53Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|2025 American film by Curry Barker}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Obsession theatrical poster.jpeg
| alt = At night, a man in a car looks at a small box. In the background, a woman stands in front of the door of a house. At the center of the poster are the film's title, credits, and tagline reading, "Be careful who you wish for...".
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Curry Barker]]
| writer = Curry Barker
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* James Harris
* Haley Nicole Johnson
* [[Christian Mercuri]]
* Roman Viaris
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Johnston (actor)|Michael Johnston]]
* [[Inde Navarrette]]
* [[Cooper Tomlinson]]
* [[Megan Lawless]]
* [[Andy Richter]]
}}
| cinematography = Taylor Clemons
| editing = Curry Barker
| music = Rock Burwell
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[Blumhouse Productions]]
* Capstone Studios
* Tea Shop Productions
* Under the Shell
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Focus Features]] (United States)
* [[Universal Pictures]] (International){{efn|excluding France ([[Le Pacte]]), New Zealand (Rialto Distribution), and Russia (Exponenta Film)}}
}}
| released = {{Film date|2025|9|5|[[2025 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2026|5|15|United States}}
| runtime = 109 minutes<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2026 |title=''Obsession'' (2026) |url=https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/F4F81130005EB8DB |access-date=March 25, 2026 |archive-date=April 20, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260420003524/https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/F4F81130005EB8DB|url-status=live |website=[[Irish Film Classification Office]]}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $750,000<ref name="NewYorker">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-twenty-six-year-old-behind-obsession-a-terrifying-tale-of-a-crush-gone-awry|title=The Twenty-Six-Year-Old Behind ''Obsession'', a Terrifying Tale of a Crush Gone Awry|date=May 11, 2026|first=Alex|last=Barasch|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|url-access=limited|access-date=May 16, 2026|archive-date=May 15, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260515234819/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-twenty-six-year-old-behind-obsession-a-terrifying-tale-of-a-crush-gone-awry|url-status=live|quote=He made ''Obsession'' for 'seven hundred and fifty thousand, max,' and earlier projects for far, far less.}}</ref>
| gross = $297.4 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite Box Office Mojo |title=Obsession |id=tt37287335 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=June 18, 2026}}</ref><ref name="NUM">{{cite The Numbers |id=Obsession-(2026) |access-date=June 18, 2026}}</ref>
}}

'''''Obsession''''' is a 2025 American [[Supernatural horror film|supernatural]] [[psychological horror]] film written, directed, and edited by [[Curry Barker]]. The film follows Bear ([[Michael Johnston (actor)|Michael Johnston]]), a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy that grants his wish for his friend Nikki ([[Inde Navarrette]]) to fall in love with him, resulting in horrific consequences. [[Cooper Tomlinson]], [[Megan Lawless]], and [[Andy Richter]] appear in supporting roles, and Barker has a voice role.

Barker, a YouTube sketch comedian, uploaded his short horror film ''The Chair'' to his channel in 2023, which led to an offer from producer James Harris to adapt it into a feature-length film. Barker took the opportunity to pitch ''Obsession'', a different film idea partly inspired by [[Treehouse of Horror II|an episode]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. The film was shot in Los Angeles in October 2024 for $750,000. It is Barker's second feature-length film, after ''[[Milk & Serial]]'' (2024), and his first to be released in theaters.

''Obsession'' premiered on September 5, 2025, at the [[2025 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] (TIFF), where [[Focus Features]] acquired the distribution rights for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a [[wikt:genre film|genre film]] in TIFF history, and [[Jason Blum]] came on board as an executive producer under [[Blumhouse Productions]]. ''Obsession'' was theatrically released in the United States on May 15, 2026. A critical and commercial success, it grossed $297.4 million worldwide, becoming Focus Features' highest-grossing film of all time and the [[2026 in film|eighth-highest-grossing film of 2026]].

==Plot==


Baron "Bear" Bailey has romantic feelings for his friend Nikki Freeman, both of whom work at a music store, with their friends, Ian and Sarah. He returns home to find that his cat, Sandy, has died after accidentally consuming [[oxycodone]]. Bear shops for a gift for Nikki at a crystal shop and buys her a "One Wish Willow", a novelty toy that claims to grant one wish per person when broken. Later that night after a group hangout, Nikki directly asks Bear if he likes her, which he nervously denies. Frustrated with himself, Bear breaks the One Wish Willow, wishing for Nikki to "love him more than anyone in the world". Shortly thereafter, Nikki asks to sleep at Bear's house, confiding that her estranged father is dying of cancer. In bed, she kisses him but abruptly screams and pulls back.

The next morning, Nikki creates a memorial with Sandy's remains, disturbing Bear. She explains her erratic behavior as the result of taking [[MDMA]], and the two start happily dating. Suspicious, Ian informs Bear that Nikki told Sarah she saw Bear as her "little brother" shortly before they began dating, and that she lied about her father's cancer. That night, Bear wakes up to see Nikki eerily watching him sleep, and she cries, accusing him of not loving her. The next day, Bear discovers that she made him a sandwich using Sandy's remains. Bear calls the One Wish Willow's customer support to alter his wish. The voice on the other end says the wish will only expire when Bear or Nikki dies, then puts a hysterically screaming Nikki on the line.

Nikki accompanies Bear to a party at Ian's house that night, despite the latter's protests. During a [[Jenga]] drinking game, Nikki recites a violent, incestuous retelling of "[[Hansel and Gretel]]". Bear draws a block daring him to kiss the person to his left, who is Sarah. Nikki ousts Sarah from her seat and kisses Bear instead. Nikki then starts screaming before stabbing her face with a broken bottle. Back home, Nikki threatens suicide if Bear does not join her in bed. In the middle of the night, Sarah texts Bear to meet her at the park. As Bear attempts to leave, a lucid Nikki [[Sleep-talking|speaks]], claiming that her obsessive persona is asleep, and begs Bear to kill her. Bear refuses, offended that she would rather die than be with him. Sarah reveals to Bear that Ian and Nikki had been casually hooking up for two years and expresses concern that Nikki is using him to get back at Ian. After Sarah hints at her own attraction to Bear, Nikki appears and murders her by repeatedly slamming her head into a brick. She instructs a traumatized Bear to return home while she disposes of the body.

Bear buys the remaining One Wish Willows from the crystal shop and tries to reverse his wish, but is unable to break one. He explains the situation to Ian and begs him to undo his wish. Ian, in disbelief, wishes for a billion dollars instead, causing cash to rain from the ceiling. Bear returns home with the last One Wish Willow to get Nikki to reverse his wish. He discovers Sarah's mutilated corpse and finds Nikki wearing Sarah's dress and scalp; she then threatens Bear and herself at gunpoint. Ian arrives and is immediately shot dead by Nikki. Bear locks himself in the bathroom and consumes the last of the oxycodone, but changes his mind and tries to induce vomiting just as Nikki breaks the last One Wish Willow. Under the wish's influence, Bear emerges from the bathroom and kisses Nikki before dying from the overdose. Heartbroken, Nikki prepares to shoot herself, but Bear's death causes the real Nikki to regain control before she can. Horrified by the carnage surrounding her, Nikki wails hysterically.

==Cast==
[[File:Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston.jpg|thumb|Left to right: Director Curry Barker with actors Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston at a Q&A for the film in 2026.]]
* [[Michael Johnston (actor)|Michael Johnston]] as Baron "Bear" Bailey, music store employee
* [[Inde Navarrette]] as Nikki Freeman, Bear's co-worker, friend, and crush
* [[Cooper Tomlinson]] as Ian, Bear and Nikki's friend
* [[Megan Lawless]] as Sarah Harper, Bear and Nikki's friend and Carter's daughter
* [[Andy Richter]] as Carter Harper, the music store boss and Sarah's father
* Haley Fitzgerald as Viola, the crystal shop employee who sells Bear the One Wish Willow
* Darin Toonder as Harry, another crystal shop employee
* [[Curry Barker]] as the voice of the One Wish Willow customer service representative

==Production==
===Development===
[[Curry Barker]], one half of the sketch comedy duo ''that's a bad idea'' with [[Cooper Tomlinson]], uploaded his short horror film ''The Chair'' to his YouTube channel in 2023.<ref name="THRYouTube">{{cite web |last=Couch |first=Aaron |title=Want to Be a Horror Director? Upload Your Movie to YouTube |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/talk-to-me-milk-serial-youtube-1236041229/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |archive-date=May 8, 2026| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260508105136/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/talk-to-me-milk-serial-youtube-1236041229/|url-status=live |date=October 28, 2024}}</ref> After film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions reached out to Barker to adapt it into a feature-length film, Barker pitched ''Obsession'' instead.<ref name="Moveable">{{cite web |last=Saito |first=Stephen |title=TIFF 2025 Interview: Curry Barker on Crushing It in "Obsession" |url=https://moveablefest.com/curry-barker-obsession/ |website=The Moveable Fest |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=September 6, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011010426/https://moveablefest.com/curry-barker-obsession/|archive-date=October 11, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Barker initially wrote ''Obsession'' as a film about an obsessive relationship. While preparing to watch an episode of ''[[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]'' in which he appeared, he caught a rerun of [[Treehouse of Horror II|a 1991 episode]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' where [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] interacts with a [[monkey's paw]], which inspired him to incorporate the wish element.<ref name="Microbudget">{{cite web |last=Earl |first=William |title=After His Microbudget Debut Haunted 2 Million People on YouTube, Curry Barker Brings 'Crazy Horror' to TIFF With Twisted Love Story 'Obsession' |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/features/obsession-curry-barker-milk-serial-1236509467/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=September 5, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250905203738/https://variety.com/2025/film/features/obsession-curry-barker-milk-serial-1236509467/|archive-date=September 5, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Collider-0515">{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/obsession-curry-barker-pearl-midsommar-possession-explained/|title='Obsession's Terrifying Twist Isn't Possession — It's Something Much Darker|date=May 15, 2026|first1=Tamera|last1=Jones|first2=Perri|last2=Nemiroff|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=May 16, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/obsession-movie-the-simpsons-curry-barker-b2983719.html|title=Obsession director reveals unlikely inspiration from The Simpsons episode|date=May 26, 2026|first=Carsen|last=Holaday|website=[[The Independent]]|access-date=June 18, 2026}}</ref> The concept led to his signing with [[William Morris Endeavor]] and receiving an offer to direct the film with a $1 million budget.<ref name="THRYouTube" /> Around this time, he declined a $2 million offer to rewrite the script to make Bear a hero.<ref name="THR-0615" /> Barker took eight months to complete the screenplay while working with the film's production companies, which, in addition to Tea Shop Productions, included Capstone Studios and Under the Shell.<ref name="VarietyMilkSerial">{{cite web |last=Earl |first=William |title=How 'Milk & Serial,' a Clever Slasher Made for $800 and Released for Free on YouTube, Became a Must-Watch for Horror Fans |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/milk-serial-curry-barker-slasher-youtube-1236116310/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=August 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826230542/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/milk-serial-curry-barker-slasher-youtube-1236116310/|archive-date=August 26, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parlevliet |first=Mirko |date=December 2, 2025 |title=Focus Partners with Blumhouse on Curry Barker's Obsession |url=https://www.vitalthrills.com/focus-partners-with-blumhouse-on-curry-barkers-obsession/ |access-date=May 8, 2026 |website=Vital Thrills }}</ref> Barker developed the design of the One Wish Willow with his mother Amy Evans-Vega, a graphic art designer.<ref name="Moveable" />

===Casting===
Casting was underway by August 2024.<ref name="VarietyMilkSerial" /> Barker wrote the Nikki character as both a threat and a victim, as the story shows her gradually losing control of herself after Bear's wish.<ref name="CouchSoup1">{{cite web |last=Carter|first=Andrea|title=The Real Villain of Obsession is Not Nikki|url=https://couchsoup.com/movies/the-real-villain-of-obsession-is-not-nikki/|website=Couch Soup|date=May 20, 2026 |access-date=May 26, 2026}}</ref> According to Barker, the role required an actress capable of portraying a normal young woman and a frightening supernatural presence.<ref name="SlashFilm12">{{cite web |last=Bria|first=Bill|title=How Obsession Found The Perfect Actress For Nikki [Exclusive]|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2173439/how-obsession-movie-found-perfect-actress-nikki/|website=[[SlashFilm]]|date=May 15, 2026 |access-date=May 26, 2026}}</ref> Amid a long casting process, [[Inde Navarrette]] was cast as Nikki after Barker felt she "nailed" a balance between crazy and scary and brought a natural and relaxed personality to the role that helped make Nikki believable before the horror elements emerged.<ref name="Moveable" /><ref name="SlashFilm12"/> After a [[wikt:chemistry read|chemistry read]] with Navarrette, [[Michael Johnston (actor)|Michael Johnston]] was cast as Bear.<ref name="Moveable" />

''Obsession'' marked Navarrette's second film after ''[[Wander Darkly]]'' (2020) and television roles on ''[[13 Reasons Why]]'' (2020) and ''[[Superman & Lois]]'' (2021–2024).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2026/05/22/obsession-star-inde-navarrette-discusses-her-spellbinding-performance-in-hit-horror-thriller/|title=''Obsession'' Star Inde Navarrette Discusses Her Spellbinding Performance In Hit Horror Thriller|date=May 22, 2026|first=Tim|last=Lammers|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=June 6, 2026}}</ref> Much of Nikki's physical behavior was developed through collaboration between Barker and Navarrette. Nikki's screams, facial expressions, and vocal changes were performed without [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] or [[artificial intelligence]];<ref name="Navarrette-THR">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/obsession-ending-inde-navarrette-explained-twist-interview-1236597250/|title=Inside 'Obsession's' Ending: Inde Navarrette on Nikki's Fate and Becoming Horror's Newest Scream Queen|date=May 16, 2026|first=Lexi|last=Carson|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 17, 2026}}</ref> scenes of Nikki lurking in the dark incorporated practical makeup effects, partly influenced by an [[uncanny valley]] makeup trend popularized by TikTok in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952963/freaky-nikkis-terrifying-look-in-obsession-was-a-practical-effect-inspired-by-a-tiktok-trend/|title=Freaky Nikki's Terrifying Look in 'Obsession' Was a Practical Effect Inspired By a TikTok Trend|date=May 22, 2026|first=Luiz|last=H. C.|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=June 6, 2026}}</ref> Before filming began, Barker had the cast watch ''[[Hereditary (film)|Hereditary]]'' (2018) and had Navarrette watch ''[[Midsommar]]'' (2019) and ''[[Pearl (2022 film)|Pearl]]'' (2022).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phantasmag.com/articles-2/curry-barker-interview-obsession|title='YouTube Taught Me That a Modern Horror Audience is Actually Very Smart': Curry Barker on His Indie Horror Phenomenon Obsession|date=May 12, 2026|first=Lana|last=Thorn|website=Phantasmag|access-date=June 19, 2026}}</ref> Navarrette credited [[Betty Gabriel]] in ''[[Get Out]]'' (2017), [[Toni Collette]] in ''Hereditary'', and [[Mia Goth]] in ''Pearl'' as inspirations for her performance as Nikki.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korngut |first=Josh |date=May 15, 2026 |title='Obsession' Star Inde Navarrette on How Toni Collette's Hereditary Performance 'Inspired' Her 'A Lot' [Exclusive] |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/exclusive/572956/obsession-star-inde-navarrette-on-how-toni-collettes-hereditary-performance-inspired-her-a-lot-exclusive/ |access-date=June 6, 2026 |website=[[Dread Central]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Svetz |first=Josh |date=June 5, 2026 |title=How 'Obsession' Star Inde Navarrette Went From Twitch Streamer to Scream Queen |url=https://www.gq.com/story/obsession-inde-navarrette |access-date=June 6, 2026 |website=GQ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Alter |first=Ethan |date=June 12, 2026 |title=Inde Navarrette shares 'Obsession' Oscar dreams, freaky on-set stories, and what happens to Nikki after the credits roll [Exclusive] |url=https://www.goldderby.com/film/2026/obsession-inde-navarrette-2027-oscars-interview/ |access-date=June 18, 2026 |website=Gold Derby | language=en-US}}</ref>

===Filming===
[[Principal photography]] began in late October 2024.<ref name="VarietyMilkSerial" /> It was filmed in 26 days, including reshoots after an initial 20-day shoot, in the Los Angeles area, covering five to six script pages daily.<ref name="Navarrette-THR" /><ref>{{Cite Instagram |author=Focus Features UK |author-link=Focus Features |user=focusfeaturesuk |postid=DYUek1WkY0K |date=May 14, 2026 |title=We are officially ready to be obsessed with Obsession |access-date=May 17, 2026}}</ref><ref name="MPA-BarkerInterview">{{cite web|url=https://www.motionpictures.org/2026/05/curry-barkers-obsession-the-indie-horror-that-turned-l-a-into-a-nightmare-playground/|title=Curry Barker's ''Obsession'' or The Indie Horror That Turned L.A. Into a Nightmare Playground|date=May 18, 2026|first=Simon|last=Thompson|website=[[Motion Picture Association]]|access-date=June 5, 2026}}</ref> Barker worked with cinematographer Taylor Clemons to shoot the film "center-composed" with "extra head space" to create shots that felt "uncomfortable".<ref name="Microbudget" /> Scenes set in Bear's home, a house in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]] remodeled by production designer Vivian Gray, were shot first in a week and a half.<ref name="Microbudget" /><ref>{{Cite Instagram |user=westcoastcreativestudio |postid=DZBUq71gYgv |title=OBSESSION MOVIE SPOILER ALERT |date=May 31, 2026 |access-date=June 13, 2026}}</ref> Other locations included the Cassells Music store in [[San Fernando, California|San Fernando]], which shut down a year after they wrapped, and the Green Man crystal shop, Roguelike Tavern, and Little Toni's pizzeria in Burbank.<ref name="MPA-BarkerInterview"/> Certain scenes, particularly those involving conversations in cars, were shot on a soundstage using [[On-set virtual production|LED screen technology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://behindthelensonline.net/site/interviews/interview-exclusives/curry-barker-interview-obsession/|title=Curry Barker Gets Practical with Horror in Obsession – Exclusive Interview|date=September 2, 2025|first=Debbie|last=Elias|website=Behind the Lens Online|access-date=June 6, 2026}}</ref>

''Obsession'' underwent reshoots for a new opening scene and, according to Barker, to "do a better job of showing why [Bear] doesn't want to fix it right away", adding the scene where Bear confronts Nikki for cutting his hair to emphasize "that he wants to make it work".<ref name="Collider-0515"/> The production had to forgo reshoots of the party scene after the house where they filmed it burned down in the [[January 2025 Southern California wildfires|2025 Los Angeles fires]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb1s6Sbg6Qk|title='I Was Genuinely Freaked Out' Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette & Michael Johnston on ''Obsession''|date=May 15, 2026|website=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date=May 16, 2026|archive-date=May 16, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260516033125/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb1s6Sbg6Qk|url-status=live|via=YouTube}}</ref> For the ending, they filmed one take of Bear trying to make himself throw up after ingesting the pills at Johnston's suggestion that it would fit Bear's cowardly nature.<ref name="Navarrette-THR"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/obsession-bear-villain-michael-johnston-interview-1236598129/|title=''Obsession'' Star Michael Johnston Knows You Think Bear Is the Real Villain — But He Disagrees|date=May 18, 2026|first=Lexi|last=Carson|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 28, 2026}}</ref> Barker initially wrote and filmed an ending inspired by ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' where Nikki kills herself after breaking free from Bear's wish. On the advice of his playwright father, who contributed the "[[Hansel and Gretel]]" monologue, and others, Barker shot one take of a different ending where Nikki survives, which he chose for the theatrical cut.<ref name="Navarrette-THR"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/obsession-director-curry-barker-film-original-ending-dad-told-him-change-it-11975457|title=''Obsession'' director Curry Barker reveals film's original ending — and why his dad told him to change it|date=May 16, 2026|first=Mike|last=Miller|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=May 17, 2026}}</ref><ref name="Polygon-0516">{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/curry-barker-obsession-writer-director-interview/|title=Obsession director Curry Barker used makeup, duct tape, and his father to make the scariest movie of 2026|date=May 16, 2026|first=Jake|last=Kleinman|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|access-date=May 21, 2026}}</ref> According to Barker, the film's budget was at most $750,000.<ref name="NewYorker"/>

===Post-production===
By March 2025, ''Obsession'' was in post-production with Barker as editor.<ref name="Moveable" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Couch |first=Aaron |title='Milk & Serial' Filmmaker Curry Barker Signs with UTA (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/milk-serial-filmmaker-curry-barker-signs-with-uta-exclusive-1236158762/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=March 10, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250310173706/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/milk-serial-filmmaker-curry-barker-signs-with-uta-exclusive-1236158762/|archive-date=March 10, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Barker recorded his dialogue as the One Wish Willow customer service representative on his phone while editing the film from his bedroom, changing lines to fit the edit.<ref name="Polygon-0516"/> After the film's festival premiere in September, the scene depicting a character getting their head smashed was cut down by "six or seven smashes" to avoid an NC-17 rating from the [[Motion Picture Association|MPA]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=March 15, 2026 |title='Obsession' Director Curry Barker At SXSW |url=https://deadline.com/2026/03/obsession-director-curry-barker-sxsw-1236754119/ |access-date=March 15, 2026 |website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260315043518/https://deadline.com/2026/03/obsession-director-curry-barker-sxsw-1236754119/|archive-date=March 15, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jason Blum]] joined the film as an executive producer under his [[Blumhouse Productions]] banner after the premiere;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/obsession-filmmaker-curry-barker-horror-profile/|url-access=limited|title=How ''Obsession'' Filmmaker Curry Barker Became Hollywood's Next Horror Sweetheart|date=May 15, 2026|first=Casey|last=Loving|website=[[TheWrap]]|access-date=May 16, 2026}}</ref> his involvement was revealed in December 2025 when the first teaser was released.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blumhouse Boards Curry Barker's Romance-Themed Focus Horror Flick 'Obsession' — Watch The Trailer|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=December 2, 2025|access-date=December 2, 2025|url=https://deadline.com/2025/12/obsession-trailer-curry-barker-horror-first-look-1236633126/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251202165013/https://deadline.com/2025/12/obsession-trailer-curry-barker-horror-first-look-1236633126/|archive-date=December 2, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Rock Burwell composed the score in his debut as a feature film composer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obsession |url=https://waxworkrecords.com/products/obsession |access-date=May 16, 2026 |publisher=[[Waxwork Records]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260516130718/https://waxworkrecords.com/products/obsession|archive-date=May 16, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> The 18-track album was released on May 15, 2026, the same date as the film's release.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Obsession' Soundtrack Album Details|website=Film Music Reporter|url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2026/05/14/curry-barker-obsession-soundtrack-album-details/ |access-date=May 16, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514211913/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2026/05/14/curry-barker-obsession-soundtrack-album-details/|archive-date=May 14, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
''Obsession'' premiered during the Midnight Madness block at the [[2025 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] (TIFF) on September 5, 2025.<ref name="Microbudget" /> Two days later, [[Focus Features]] entered talks to acquire distribution rights to the film for the world (excluding France, New Zealand, and Russia) for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a genre film in TIFF history, with [[Universal Pictures International]] handling distribution outside the United States;<ref>{{cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |title=Focus Features Closing First Big TIFF Deal: Curry Barker Horror Film 'Obsession' Selling For $15M+ – The Dish |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/tiff-obsession-focus-features-curry-barker-1236510833/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=September 7, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250907151304/https://deadline.com/2025/09/tiff-obsession-focus-features-curry-barker-1236510833/|archive-date=September 7, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NewYorker"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=May 17, 2026 |title=Box Office: 'Michael' Returns to No. 1 in Fourth Weekend, 'Obsession' Starts Strong With $16 Million |url=https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/box-office-michael-reclaims-first-place-obsession-starts-strong-1236751550/ |access-date=May 17, 2026 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260517145842/https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office-michael-reclaims-first-place-obsession-starts-strong-1236751550/|archive-date=May 17, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> the deal officially closed in October 2025, with a screening at the inaugural FocusFest on October 18 at the [[Universal Studios Lot]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Focus Features Seals Deal For Curry Barker's 'Obsession,' Sets FocusFest Screening|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Matt | last=Grobar|date=October 14, 2025|access-date=October 14, 2025|url=https://deadline.com/2025/10/curry-barker-obsession-finalizes-focus-features-deal-focusfest-1236584405/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251016031928/https://deadline.com/2025/10/curry-barker-obsession-finalizes-focus-features-deal-focusfest-1236584405/|archive-date=October 16, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was theatrically released in the U.S. on May 15, 2026.<ref>{{cite web|title=Focus Features Sets Early Summer 2026 Date For Curry Barker's Horror Pic 'Obsession'|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=November 5, 2025|access-date=November 5, 2025|url=https://deadline.com/2025/11/obsession-curry-barker-release-date-1236607937/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251105175133/https://deadline.com/2025/11/obsession-curry-barker-release-date-1236607937/|archive-date=November 5, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2026, art director Sally Choi made a social media post calling for industry reform, noting that she made $300 a day on the non-union production while also serving as [[production assistant]], [[set dresser]], graphic designer, and background actor, and that some crew members were volunteers paid in gas and mileage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/obsession-art-director-salary-complaint-sally-choi/|title=''Obsession'' Art Director Calls for Industry Reform After Getting Paid Less Than $7,000 as Film Nears $175 Million|date=June 5, 2026|first=Umberto|last=Gonzalez|website=[[TheWrap]]|access-date=June 10, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillipson |first=Daisy |date=2026-06-09 |title=Obsession art director doubles down after slamming low pay and working conditions |url=https://thetab.com/filmshrine/2026/06/09/obsession-art-director-sally-choi-doubles-down-after-slamming-low-pay-wages/ |access-date=2026-06-10 |website=[[The Tab|Film Shrine]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
{{As of|2026|6|17|df=US}}, ''Obsession'' has grossed $198.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $98.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $297.4 million.<ref name="BOM"/><ref name="NUM"/>

In the United States and Canada, ''Obsession'' was initially projected to gross $8–10 million from 2,615 theaters in its opening weekend.<ref name="opening">{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=May 17, 2026 |title='Michael' King Of Box Office With $26M U.S., $83M WW; 'Obsession' Romances $16M+ & 'A-' CinemaScore – Sunday AM Box Office Update |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/box-office-obsession-michael-devil-wears-prada-2-1236906122/ |access-date=May 16, 2026 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260515161913/https://deadline.com/2026/05/box-office-obsession-michael-devil-wears-prada-2-1236906122/|archive-date=May 15, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> After making $7 million on its first day,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2026-05-15/|title=Domestic Box Office For May 15, 2026|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 19, 2026|archive-date=May 17, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260517201907/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2026-05-15/|url-status=live}}</ref> estimates were raised to $14 million.<ref name="opening" /> It went on to debut to $17.2 million, finishing third at the box office behind holdovers ''[[Michael (2026 film)|Michael]]'' and ''[[The Devil Wears Prada 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2026W20/|title=Domestic 2026 Weekend 20|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 24, 2026}}</ref> The film then made $32 million over the subsequent four-day Memorial Day frame, including $24 million over the second weekend (a 39% increase from its opening).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2026W21/|title=Domestic 2026 Weekend 21|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 27, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/box-office-mandalorian-and-grogu-1236918713/|title=''Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu'' Eases Force To 4-Day $98M U.S. But Higher WW $167M; ''Obsession'' Amorous $32M+ In Near $222M Memorial Day Weekend – Update|date=May 26, 2026|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=May 27, 2026}}</ref> Unprecedented for a wide release, especially in the horror genre, it marked the biggest second-weekend increase for a film playing in more than 2,500 theaters outside of the Christmas season. Word-of-mouth and turnout from the 18–34 demographic, making up 75% of audience members, led to its success.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/obsession-box-office-breakout-hit-horror-1236757946/ |title=How ''Obsession'' Became an Unprecedented Box Office Horror Hit — and One of the Year's Most Profitable Movies |first=Rebecca |last=Rubin|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 24, 2026|access-date=May 25, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-obsession-second-weekend-spike-1236606229/|title=Box Office Stunner: ''Obsession'' Makes History With Biggest Second-Weekend Spike in Modern Times Outside of Christmas|date=May 27, 2026|first1=Camp|last1=McClintock|first2=Lexi|last2=Carson|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 27, 2026}}</ref>

In its third weekend, the film made $27.4 million, becoming the first wide release outside of the Christmas season since ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982) to increase its earnings for three consecutive weekends; with a total $105.7 million at the time, it also became Focus Features' highest-grossing film domestically, surpassing ''[[Downton Abbey (film)|Downton Abbey]]'' (2019; $97 million).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2026W22/|title=Domestic 2026 Weekend 22|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=June 1, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/box-office-backrooms-1236929953/|title=''Backrooms'' Mushrooms To $81M+ U.S., $118M WW A24 Record Opening; ''Obsession'' $104M+ Best Ever For Focus Features – Sunday Update|date=May 31, 2026|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=May 31, 2026}}</ref> On the following Monday, Focus Features postponed its expected digital release of June 2.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lammers |first=Tim |date=June 2, 2026 |title=When Is ''Obsession'' Coming To Streaming? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2026/06/02/obsession-streaming-date-skipped-in-favor-of-longer-theatrical-to-pvod-window/ |access-date=June 6, 2026 |website=Forbes }}</ref> In its fourth weekend, the film became Focus Features' highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, surpassing ''Downton Abbey'' ($194.6 million).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/06/box-office-obsession-record-1236949178/|title=Obsessed Around The Globe: Curry Barker's ''Obsession'' Is Focus Features' Highest Grossing Movie Ever With $224M+ WW|date=June 7, 2026|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=June 7, 2026}}</ref> In its fifth weekend, it outgrossed ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'' (1999; $248.6 million) to become the top-grossing festival acquisition title of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/06/box-office-obsession-record-blair-witch-project-get-out-1236955980/|title=''Obsession'': World's Love Affair With Curry Barker Pic Nears $300M; Scares Away ''Blair Witch Project'' As Top Grossing Fest Acquisition Of All-Time – Box Office|date=June 14, 2026|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=June 15, 2026}}</ref>

===Critical response===
[[File:Inde Navarrette in 2026.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Inde Navarrette]] received critical acclaim for her performance as Nikki.<ref name="L'Officiel">{{Cite web |title=Who is Inde Navarrette? Meet Hollywood's Newest Scream Queen |first=Grace |last=Clarke |url=https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/who-is-inde-navarrette-obsession-movie-nikki-actress-age-movies-tv-shows|access-date=May 27, 2026|website=[[L'Officiel USA]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2026/film/opinion/obsession-inde-navarrette-awards-1236752366/|title=''Obsession'' Star Inde Navarrette Delivers a Scary and Tragic Performance That Demands Awards Attention|date=May 18, 2026|first=William|last=Earl|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=June 6, 2026}}</ref>]]

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|94|8.1|269|Taking an icky conceit and twisting it to deviously crowd-pleasing ends, ''Obsession'' is dauntingly disturbing while also skillfully amusing and thrilling.|ref=yes|access-date=June 18, 2026}} {{Metacritic film prose|score=77|count=36|ref=yes|access-date=June 15, 2026}} Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while 70% of those polled by [[PostTrak]] said they would "definitely recommend" it.<ref name="opening" />

Christian Zilko of ''[[IndieWire]]'' said it was "proof that the [[Zach Cregger|Cregger]]-ification of 2020s horror is in full effect, as its combination of sadistic violence, [[Irony|ironic]] needle drops, and comedy mined from people responding to tragedy in pathetically self-serving ways will merit plenty of comparisons to ''[[Barbarian (2022 film)|Barbarian]]'' and ''[[Weapons (2025 film)|Weapons]]''".<ref>{{cite web |last=Zilko |first=Christian |title='Obsession' Review: YouTuber Curry Barker Directs One of the Best Horror Films of 2025 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/obsession-review-curry-baker-1235149428/ |website=[[IndieWire]] |access-date=September 7, 2025 |date=September 6, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250906082220/https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/obsession-review-curry-baker-1235149428/|archive-date=September 6, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]''{{'s}} Matt Donato noted "familiar romance and monkey's paw tropes" but said "Barker's execution takes things to the next level".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donato |first=Matt |date=September 28, 2025 |title=Obsession Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/obsession-review |access-date=March 29, 2026 |website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250928123534/https://www.ign.com/articles/obsession-review|archive-date=September 28, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Lou Thomas of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' called it "so fresh and exhilarating, one can forgive its familiar origins".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/obsession/|first=Lou|last=Thomas|access-date=May 17, 2026|title=Obsession Review|date=May 15, 2026|website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> In ''[[Compact (American magazine)|Compact]]'', Matthew Schmitz said it defined the genre of "[[wikt:heteropessimism|heteropessimist]] horror".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schmitz |first=Matthew |date=June 1, 2026 |title=Heteropessimist Horror |url=https://www.compactmag.com/article/heteropessimist-horror/ |access-date=June 4, 2026 |website=Compact }}</ref> Author [[Rob K. Henderson]] described it as a "morality tale" that encouraged young men to confess their romantic feelings instead of concealing them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Rob |date=June 2, 2026 |title=Why every young man should fear Obsession's message |url=https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/obsession-movie-2026-cast-9rt99bb95 |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 7, 2026 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

Navarrette received critical acclaim for her performance.<ref name="Slant-Review">{{Cite web |last=Shaffer|first=Marshall|date=May 11, 2026|title='Obsession' Review: A Chilling Portrait of a Crush Gone Awry|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/obsession-review-curry-barker/|access-date=May 26, 2026|website=[[Slant Magazine]]}}</ref><ref name="L'Officiel" /> Louis Peitzman of ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' called it a stand-out performance for Navarrette, especially as her first major role in the horror genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peitzman|first=Louis|date=May 18, 2026|title=Inde Navarrette Isn't Just a 'Crazy Girlfriend' in ''Obsession''|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/inde-navarrette-isnt-just-a-crazy-girlfriend-in-obsession.html|access-date=May 26, 2026|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> Katie Rife of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' said her emotional scenes revealed the humanity behind Nikki's violent behavior and made the character more tragic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obsession: The heart wants what it wants in Blumhouse chiller|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/obsession-curry-barker-movie-review-2026|access-date=May 26, 2026|website=[[RogerEbert.com|Roger Ebert]]}}</ref> Guy Lodge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised Navarrette for "acing one of the more physically and emotionally taxing horror leads to come down the pike in a while".<ref name="Variety1">{{cite web |last=Lodge|first=Guy|title='Obsession' Review: Clever, Creepy Indie Horror Applies an Old-School Monkey's Paw Device to Modern Relationships|url=https://variety.com/2026/film/news/obsession-review-1236747795/|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 14, 2026 |access-date=May 26, 2026}}</ref> Bill Bria of ''[[SlashFilm]]'' compared Nikki's impact to performances in classic horror films such as ''[[The Exorcist]]'' (1973) and ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'' (1976).<ref name="SlashFilm12" />

Benjamin Lee of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised the "disturbing sound design" for intensifying the horror elements,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Benjamin |date=September 6, 2025 |title=Obsession review – nasty horror sees a wish for true love go horribly wrong |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/06/obsession-movie-review-tiff |access-date=May 15, 2026 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250906073557/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/06/obsession-movie-review-tiff|archive-date=September 6, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> while Marshall Shaffer of ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' complimented the film's audiovisual presentation.<ref name="Slant-Review"/> Comparisons were raised to [[Kane Parsons]]'s ''[[Backrooms (film)|Backrooms]]'', a fellow commercially successful, low-budget 2026 release directed by a YouTuber; Aaron Couch of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' said he anticipated a "generational shift" away from high-budget movie franchises in favor of smaller films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taher |first=Sarah |date=June 4, 2026 |title=YouTube already had a place in Hollywood. The success of Backrooms and Obsession proves it's undeniable |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/youtuber-horror-hollywood-9.7222173 |website=[[CBC News]] |access-date=June 4, 2026}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="width: 100%;"
! scope="col"| Award / Festival
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Toronto International Film Festival]]
| [[2025 Toronto International Film Festival|September 14, 2025]]
| [[Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness|People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness]]
| rowspan="7"| ''Obsession''
| {{draw|Runner-up}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/hamnet-toronto-film-festival-peoples-choice-award-1236530932/ |title='Hamnet' Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People's Choice Award |last=Hammond |first=Pete |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=September 14, 2025 |access-date=September 14, 2025 |archive-date=September 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250914170057/https://deadline.com/2025/09/hamnet-toronto-film-festival-peoples-choice-award-1236530932/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="4" scope="row"| [[Sitges Film Festival]]
| rowspan="4"| [[58th Sitges Film Festival|October 18, 2025]]
| Best Feature Film
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |date=September 10, 2025 |title=We Complete the 2025 line-up: Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Park Chan-wook, Carmen Maura, and Other Big Names in Contemporary Fantastic Genre |url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/noticies/we-complete-2025-line-guillermo-toro-yorgos-lanthimos-park-chan-wook-carmen-maura-and |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250914210743/https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/noticies/we-complete-2025-line-guillermo-toro-yorgos-lanthimos-park-chan-wook-carmen-maura-and |archive-date=September 14, 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=September 14, 2025 |publisher=[[Sitges Film Festival]]}}</ref>
|-
| Special Jury Prize
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |date=October 18, 2025 |title='The Ugly Stepsister', by Emilie Blichfeldt, Best Feature Film Award at Sitges 2025 |url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/noticies/ugly-stepsister-emilie-blichfeldt-best-feature-film-award-sitges-2025 |access-date=June 5, 2026 |publisher=[[Sitges Film Festival]] |archive-date=October 23, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251023161009/https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/noticies/ugly-stepsister-emilie-blichfeldt-best-feature-film-award-sitges-2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| SOFC Audience Award
| {{won}}
|-
| Carnet Jove (Youth Card) Award for Best Film
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[South by Southwest]]
| [[2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival|March 19, 2026]]
| Festival Favorite Audience Award
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |title=SXSW Film & TV Festival Awards |url=https://sxsw.com/festivals/film-awards/ |access-date=April 29, 2026 |publisher=[[South by Southwest|SXSW]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2026/01/sxsw-2026-lineup-ready-or-not-2-they-will-kill-you-1236682676/ |title=SXSW Sets World Premieres 'Ready or Not 2', 'They Will Kill You', Apple Series 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' & Pics with Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas & the Kevin Bacon Family |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=January 14, 2026 |access-date=January 22, 2026 |archive-date=January 14, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260114173520/https://deadline.com/2026/01/sxsw-2026-lineup-ready-or-not-2-they-will-kill-you-1236682676/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Miami Film Festival]]
| April 19, 2026
| Jordan Ressler First Feature Award
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2026/03/2026-miami-film-festival-lineup-and-honorees-1236753747/ |title=Miami Film Festival Announces 2026 Lineup, Awards for Adam Scott, Bob Odenkirk, Danielle Brooks, Lili Reinhart & More |last=Carey |first=Matthew |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=March 14, 2026 |access-date=June 13, 2026 |archive-date=March 15, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260315070635/https://deadline.com/2026/03/2026-miami-film-festival-lineup-and-honorees-1236753747/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Seattle International Film Festival]]
| [[2026 Seattle International Film Festival|May 17, 2026]]
| Best Performance
| [[Inde Navarrette]]
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |date=May 17, 2026 |title=SIFF 2026 Award Winners |url=https://www.siff.net/media/blog/siff-2026-award-winners |access-date=May 18, 2026 |publisher=[[Seattle International Film Festival|SIFF]] |archive-date=June 1, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601173830/https://www.siff.net/media/blog/siff-2026-award-winners |url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

==Future==
In 2025, Barker said the characters of ''Obsession'' are unlikely to appear in another film.<ref name="Microbudget" /> In 2026, Barker said he was considering an anthology television series where each episode explores a new character making a wish,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/curry-barker-considers-obsession-sequel-anthology-plot-hole-1236907398/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|title=Curry Barker Considers ''Obsession'' Sequel Or Anthology Series, Despite 'Plot Hole' In Film: 'It's Broken'|last=Garner|first=Glenn|date=May 16, 2026|accessdate=May 29, 2026}}</ref> or a sequel, for which he has an idea.<ref name="THR-0615">{{Cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=2026-06-15 |title=Curry Barker Got His Wish: Inside the ''Obsession'' Director{{'}}s Wild Month (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/curry-barker-obsession-interview-1236620580/ |access-date=2026-06-15 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref> His next film, ''[[Anything but Ghosts]]'', is set in the same shared universe, including a reference to the events of ''Obsession'' in the form of a news report.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garner |first=Glenn |date=May 28, 2026 |title=Curry Barker Says 'Anything But Ghosts' Is In 'Obsession' Universe |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/curry-barker-anything-but-ghosts-same-universe-obsession-1236929829/ |access-date=June 7, 2026 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== See also ==
* [[Mind control in popular culture]]
* [[Obsessive love]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://www.focusfeatures.com/obsession}}
* {{IMDb title|tt37287335}}

{{Curry Barker}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|2020s|Film|United States|Speculative fiction/Horror}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Obsession (2025 film)}}
[[Category:2020s psychological drama films]]
[[Category:2020s psychological horror films]]
[[Category:2020s psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:2020s satirical films]]
[[Category:2025 supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:2025 American films]]
[[Category:2025 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:2025 English-language films]]
[[Category:2025 films]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:American psychological drama films]]
[[Category:American psychological horror films]]
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American romantic horror films]]
[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Blumhouse Productions films]]
[[Category:Dolby Cinema films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy horror films]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:Films about mind control]]
[[Category:Films about stalking]]
[[Category:Films about wish fulfillment]]
[[Category:Films set in stores]]
[[Category:Films directed by Curry Barker]]
[[Category:Films shot in Burbank, California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Focus Features films]]
[[Category:Horror films about toys]]

Kushwaha

2026-06-19T06:55:52Z

BellaCH:

{{short description|Ethnic group/class in India and Nepal}}
{{distinguish|Kachhwaha}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group = Kushwahas
|image =
|caption =
|regions = {{flag|India}}, {{flag|Nepal}}
|region1 = [[Bihar]]{{efn|Population figures are according to [[2022 Bihar caste-based survey]]}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Verma |first=Ritesh |date=2 October 2023 |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-bihar-caste-survey-counting-census-full-list-population-share-percent-obc-ebc-upper-caste-muslim-hindu-sc-st-8792660.html |title=List of caste wise population of Bihar |work=[[Hindustan (newspaper)|Hindustan]] |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003234805/https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-bihar-caste-survey-counting-census-full-list-population-share-percent-obc-ebc-upper-caste-muslim-hindu-sc-st-8792660.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Kumar|last=Ayushman|date=28 August 2018|url=https://theprint.in/politics/this-kheer-cooking-in-bihar-may-leave-a-bad-taste-in-the-bjps-mouth/|title=This 'kheer' cooking in Bihar may leave a bad taste in the BJP's mouth|work=The Print|access-date=27 June 2020|archive-date=28 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428215418/https://theprint.in/politics/this-kheer-cooking-in-bihar-may-leave-a-bad-taste-in-the-bjps-mouth/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|pop1 = Koeri (5506113, 4.2120% of population of Bihar)<br/>
Dangi (336629, 0.2575% of population of Bihar){{efn|Dangi is a sub-caste of Koeri in central Bihar.<ref>{{cite news |last=Qadir |first=Abdul |date=14 October 2015 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/bihar-elections-2015/news/bihar-assembly-elections-2015-much-at-stake-for-bjp-in-gayas-gurua/articleshow/49347945.cms |title =Bihar election 2015 much at stake for BJP in Gurua |work=Times of India |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref>}}<br/> Mali (349285, 0.2672% of population of Bihar)
|region2 = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
|pop2 = N/A
|region3 = [[Jharkhand]]
|pop3 = N/A
|region4 = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
|pop4 = N/A
|region5 = [[Haryana]]
|pop5 = N/A
|region6 = [[Nepal]]
|pop6 = 355,808 (1.22% of the population of Nepal; primarily in [[Terai]])<ref>{{cite web |title=National Report on Caste/Ethnicity, Language and Religion |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/files/result-folder/Caste%20Ethnicity_report_NPHC_2021.pdf |website=Nepal Population and Housing Census 2021 |access-date=April 15, 2025}}</ref>
|langs = {{hlist|[[Hindi]]|[[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]|[[Nepali language|Nepali]]}}
|rels = [[File:Om.svg|12px]] [[Hinduism]]
|related =
}}

'''Kushwaha''' (sometimes '''Kushvaha''')<ref name="Pinch1996p91">{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=91}}</ref> is a [[Peasant|non-elite peasant]] caste-community of the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]] that has traditionally been involved in [[agriculture]], including [[beekeeping]] and [[horticulture]], found largely in the Indian states of [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Harper|first=Malcolm|title=Inclusive Value Chains: A Pathway Out of Poverty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VODZCM5qblYC&pg=PA182|year=2010|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4293-89-1|pages=182, 297}}</ref> Kushwahas are presently classified as [[Other Backward Class]] (OBC) by the [[National Commission for Backward Classes]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 October 2010 |title=NCBC Advice No.35/Delhi/2012 |url=https://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/635367176167888209_Advice%20No35.pdf |access-date=8 November 2025 |website=[[National Commission for Backward Classes]]}}</ref> The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the [[Kachhi (caste)|Kachhis]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peasants and Monks in British India |url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft22900465&chunk.id=s1.3.14&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ch3&brand=eschol;query=kachhvaha#1 |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=publishing.cdlib.org |quote=Original Text from Peasants and Monks in British India "Kushvaha-kshatriya identity was espoused by agricultural communities well known throughout the Gangetic north for an expertise in small-scale vegetable and poppy cultivation. Prominent among them were Kachhi and Murao agriculturalists of central Uttar Pradesh, Kachhvahas of western Uttar Pradesh, and Koiris of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh." |archive-date=4 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004085146/https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft22900465&chunk.id=s1.3.14&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ch3&brand=eschol;query=kachhvaha#1 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Koeri]]s and [[Murao people|Murao]]s. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster include Kachhi, Kushwaha, [[Mali caste|Mali]], Marrar, [[Saini (surname)|Saini]], Sonkar, Murai, [[Shakya (surname)|Shakya]], [[Maurya (surname)|Maurya]], Koeri and Panara.<ref>{{cite book |last=Patel |first=Mahendra Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58G8PPAN48cC |title=Awareness in Weaker Section: Perspective Development and Prospects |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |year=1997 |isbn=8175330295 |page=37 |quote=Original Text from Book: The reclassification by identification as other backward classes has placed them in various disadvantageous situations, as political reservations are not permitted to OBC persons. A number of families belonging to these caste groups, namely, Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Mourya, Koyri, Koeri, and Panara have come closer to each other and have started intermarrying. They have now developed an all-India network to ensure caste solidarity without jeopardizing the caste interests. |access-date=15 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202201928/https://books.google.com/books?id=58G8PPAN48cC |archive-date=2 February 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Origin ==
Before the 20th century CE, branches that form the Kushwaha community – the Kachhis, Koeris, and Muraos – favoured a connection with Shiva and Shakta.<ref name=Pinch1996pp91-92>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |pages=12, 91–92}}</ref> In the 20th century, the Kushwaha began to claim descent from the Suryavansh dynasty through Kusha, a son of the mythical [[Rama]], an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]. In the 1920s, Ganga Prasad Gupta, a proponent of Kushwaha [[sanskritisation]], said Kushwaha families worshiped [[Hanuman]], who Pinch described as "the embodiment of true devotion to Ram and Sita", during [[Kartika (month)|Kartika]], a month in the [[Hindu calendar|Hindu lunar calendar]].<ref name=Pinch1996p98>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=98}}</ref>

== Distribution and socio-economic status==

William Pinch notes a Kushwaha presence in [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Bihar]],<ref name=Pinch1996pp91-92 /> and they are also recorded in [[Haryana]].<ref name="ht"/> Outside India, they are found in [[Terai]], Nepal, where they have been officially recorded as ''Kushwaha'' and ''Koiri''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Social Inclusion of Ethnic Communities in Contemporary Nepal |pages=109–110 |first=Monika |last=Mandal |publisher=KW Publishers |year=2013 |isbn=978-93-81904-58-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f0y6DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT108}}</ref> They also have significant presence among the [[Bihar]]i diaspora in Mauritius. The migration of Biharis to neighbouring countries became more pronounced in post-independence India. Small island nations like Mauritius have significant populations of people of Indian origin. The tradition and culture of Hindu migrants in countries like Mauritius is quite different from the Indian subcontinent, including ''[[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]]'' status and "social hierarchy", both of which terms have several variations in Mauritius ''vis a vis'' India. The traditional ruling elites like [[Rajput]]s and [[Brahmin]]s are politically and economically marginalised in Mauritius, whereas cultivating castes like Koeri, [[Ahir]], Kurmi, [[Kahar]], and others have improved their social and financial position.<ref name="Crispin">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_F7NCwAAQBAJ&q=koeri+in+Mauritius&pg=PA14|title=Community, Empire and Migration: South Asians in Diaspora|first=Crispin|last=Bates|publisher=Springer|page=14|year= 2016|isbn=978-0333977293|access-date=1 July 2020}}</ref> According to Crispin Bates:
{{blockquote|The Vaish are the largest and most influential caste group on the island. Internally the group is divided into Koeri, Kurmi, Kahar, Ahir, Lohar and other jatis. In the past many admitted to Chamar status (as shown by historical records), but recently this seems to have become completely taboo. This group, now commonly known as 'Rajputs', will also sometimes describe themselves as 'Raviveds'. An explanation may lie in the rapid economic growth of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the lack of positive discrimination measures of the sort seen in India.<ref name="Crispin"/> |author=|title=|source=}}

The Kushwaha are often associated with the [[Kurmi]] caste, which have same socio-economic status in Bihar. Despite having some similarities, the Kushwaha and the Kurmi are different in many aspects. In the early 20th century, socio-economic ascendancy of the Kurmis led them to become landlords. Consequently, they were involved in the formation of a private army called the [[Bhumi Sena]], which perpetrated massacres of [[Dalit]]s and other atrocities. The Koeris have always led the battle of weaker sections of society against landlords.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thewire.in/politics/bihar-nitish-kumar-upendra-kushwaha-rlsp-jdu-koiri-kurmi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411230235/https://thewire.in/politics/bihar-nitish-kumar-upendra-kushwaha-rlsp-jdu-koiri-kurmi|title=Bihar: What Nitish Kumar and JD(U) Hope To Achieve Through Upendra Kushwaha's Merger|website=The Wire|editor=Nalin Verma|access-date=11 April 2021|archive-date=11 April 2021}}</ref> In districts such as [[Aurangabad district, Bihar|Aurangabad]], Bihar, where the feudal system was prevalent, the Kushwaha along with [[Yadav]]s have successfully led the Dalits in their armed struggle against landlords.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/end-of-a-dynasty-in-chittorgarh-of-bihar-728009.html|title=End of a dynasty in 'Chittorgarh of Bihar'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612163248/https://www.deccanherald.com/national/end-of-a-dynasty-in-chittorgarh-of-bihar-728009.html|archive-date=12 June 2022 |website=[[Deccan Herald]]|date=10 April 2019 |access-date=12 June 2022}}</ref>

According to a report of the [[Institute of Human Development and Studies]], the Kushwaha with the ''per capita'' income of {{INR|18,811}} are among the highest-earning social groups of Bihar, much above the other important backward castes like Yadavs. They are placed below the upper castes in ''per capita'' earning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bihar-elections-caste-obc-mandal-6929329/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122091426/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bihar-elections-caste-obc-mandal-6929329/ |title=Lower castes in Bihar have got political power, not economic progress|editor1=[[Christophe Jaffrelot]]|editor2=Kalaiyarasan A|website=Indian Express|date=4 November 2020 |access-date=22 January 2021|archive-date=22 January 2021}}</ref> In regions like [[Samastipur]], Bihar, the Kushwaha are politically strong and are involved with criminality.<ref>{{cite book|title=Women Empowerment Through Panchayati Raj Institutions|first=Minni |last=Thakur|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year= 2010|isbn=978-8180696800|page=31
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0hbA4A--9HcC&pg=PA31|access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref> Author Tilak Das Gupta notes that Koeris of Bihar are known to be an educationally advanced community, along with castes like [[Kurmi|Awadhia Kurmi]] and [[Bania (caste)|Bania]], due to more spread of education among them in contrast with several other communities categorised as [[Other Backward Class]].<ref>{{cite journal|first=Tilak D.|last=Gupta.|title= "Yadav Ascendancy in Bihar Politics."|journal=Economic and Political Weekly| volume= 27|issue= 26|year=1992|pages=1304–06|jstor=4398537}}</ref> Amongst various subgroups constituting Kushwaha community, Koeris of Bihar were known to be owner of significant amount of land; they were employers of [[Schedule Caste]] labourers and after the land reform drive of North Indian states like Bihar, many new landlords of the post reform period also emerged from within them.<ref name=TF>{{cite book|title=Dalits, Subalternity and Social Change in India|year=2018|editor1 = Ajit K. Pandey|editor2=Ashok K. Pankaj|place=United Kingdom|publisher=Taylor & Francis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dHd0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT21 |pages=21–23|isbn=9780429785184 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ju2wEAAAQBAJ |title=Migration, Food Security and Development: Insights from Rural India|author=Chetan Choithani|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2023|
isbn=978-1009276771|page=107|quote= Although the end of zamindari led to a mass eviction of sharecroppers and tenant cultivators who were the actual tillers of the land, big landlords from high castes also saw their landholdings diminish. A new class of landlords belonging to the upper-middle caste groups such as Kurmi, Koeri and Yadavs- officially categorised as other backward classes in contemporary Bihar - emerged. These were mostly small and middle peasants who were able to consolidate their landholdings and position in society in the midst of zamindari reforms (Wilson, 1999; Sharma, 2005).}}</ref> In [[Bihar]], many [[Koeri]]s, who now possess land, education and government jobs have become upwardly mobile and demonstrate [[Forward Castes|upper-caste]] characteristics.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Who is Bihar ex-MP Anand Mohan and why Nitish Kumar govt got him freed from jail |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/anand-mohan-gets-freed-from-jail-nitish-kumar-rajput-vote-bank-bihar-rjd-bjp-politics-2364418-2023-04-25 |magazine=India Today |date=25 April 2023 |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>

===In Uttar Pradesh===
In [[Uttar Pradesh]], the Kushwaha community comprise approximately 8.5% of the state's population. They are distributed across the state and are known as [[Maurya (Surname)|Maurya]], [[Murao people|Morao]], Shakya, Koeri, [[Kachhi (caste)|Kachhi]], and [[Saini (surname)|Saini]] in different parts of the state.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rashid |first=Omar |date=18 January 2022 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/uttar-pradesh-assembly/keshav-the-rss-home-grown-maurya/article38287711.ece |title=The importance of being Keshav Prasad Maurya in BJP |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=16 February 2023 |archive-date=16 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216172123/https://www.thehindu.com/elections/uttar-pradesh-assembly/keshav-the-rss-home-grown-maurya/article38287711.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> The community has sizeable presence in almost all of the nineteen assembly constituencies of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, which consists seven districts— [[Jhansi district|Jhansi]], [[Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh|Hamirpur]], [[Chitrakoot district|Chitrakoot]], [[Jalaun district|Jalaun]], [[Banda district, India|Banda]], [[Mahoba district|Mahoba]] and [[Lalitpur district, India|Lalitpur]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Sanjay |date=20 December 2011 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/bsp-promotes-another-kushwaha-with-eye-on-bundelkhand-votebank/ |title=BSP promotes another Kushwaha with eye on Bundelkhand votebank |work=Indian express |access-date=25 August 2023 |archive-date=25 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825200948/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/bsp-promotes-another-kushwaha-with-eye-on-bundelkhand-votebank/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Madhya Pradesh===
The Kushwaha-Maurya community also have a sizeable presence in Indian state of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. They are found primarily in areas of the state bordering neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{cite news |title=Delhi confidential: Seeking Seats |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/delhi-confidential/delhi-confidential-seeking-seats-upendra-kushwaha-madhya-pradesh-elections-chhattisgarh-elections-5408353/ |access-date=4 October 2023 |work=The Indian Express |date=19 October 2018 |archive-date=6 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006053547/https://indianexpress.com/article/delhi-confidential/delhi-confidential-seeking-seats-upendra-kushwaha-madhya-pradesh-elections-chhattisgarh-elections-5408353/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2023, the regional caste organisation of the community in Madhya Pradesh demanded that at least twenty five candidates of the Kushwaha caste should contest the election in 230 membered [[Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly]]. The leaders of the organisation declared that they will support only that political party which will provide appropriate representation to them in the government. In the 2018-23 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, there were eight members of legislative assembly belonging to Kushwaha community. From the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] which was in government, [[Bharat Singh Kushwah]] and Ram Kishor Kawre from the community were ministers in [[Government of Madhya Pradesh]]. There were two other legislators from the BJP in the Assembly. From the [[Indian National Congress]], there were four legislators in the Assembly, Baijnath Kushwah, [[Ajab Singh Kushwah]], [[Siddharth Sukhlal Kushwaha]], and [[Hina Kaware]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/bhopal/news/kushwaha-samaj-asked-for-25-tickets-if-not-received-candidates-will-be-fielded-on-50-seats-131203088.html|title=Kushwaha community asked for 25 tickets if not received candidate will be fielded on fifty seats|website=Dainik Bhaskar|accessdate=11 June 2024|archive-date=9 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509144752/https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/bhopal/news/kushwaha-samaj-asked-for-25-tickets-if-not-received-candidates-will-be-fielded-on-50-seats-131203088.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Economy==

According to Arun Sinha, the Koeris were known for their market gardening activities. Since [[Independence Day (India)|Indian independence]], the land reform movement made it difficult for the erstwhile upper-caste landlords to maintain their holdings. The growing pressure from left-wing militants backed by [[Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation]] (CPI(ML)) and some local political parties; and the weakening of the [[Zamindar|Zamindari system]] made it difficult for them to survive in rural areas. The decades following independence were marked by the urbanisation of upper castes, who sold their unproductive holdings, which were mostly bought by the peasants of cultivating middle castes, who were affluent enough to purchase land. Some of the land was also bought from Muslim families who were migrating to [[Pakistan]]. The Koeris, [[Kurmi]]s, and [[Yadav]]s were the main buyers of these lands.<ref name="Sinha">{{cite book | last=Sinha | first=A. | title=Nitish Kumar and the Rise of Bihar|publisher=Viking | year=2011 | isbn=978-0-670-08459-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rT2xWp_iTCYC|pages=80–84 | access-date=7 April 2015}}</ref>

Because the peasant castes considered their land to be their most productive asset, they rarely sold it. The zeal of peasant castes to buy more and more land gradually changed their economic profile, and some of them became "neo-landlords". The peasants attempted to protect their new economic status from those below them, especially the Dalits, who were still mainly landless labourers. The peasants adopted many of the practices of their erstwhile landlords.<ref name="Sinha"/> The pattern of land reform in states like Bihar mainly benefitted the middle castes like the Koeris, and was also responsible for the imperfect mobilisation of backward castes in politics. The space created by Backward castes in electoral politics after 1967 was dominated mainly by these middle-peasant castes, who were the biggest beneficiary of the "politics of socialism", the proponents of which were people like [[Ram Manohar Lohia]].<ref name="Sanjay 55">{{cite book |last=Kumar|first=Sanjay |title=Post mandal politics in Bihar:Changing electoral patterns|publisher=SAGE publication|pages=55|isbn=978-93-528-0585-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2zhODwAAQBAJ&q=jagdeo+prasad&pg=PA55|date=5 June 2018}}</ref> The unequitable political space at the disposal of other "Backward castes" and [[Scheduled Caste]]s was an implication of these land reforms – according to Varinder Grover:
{{blockquote|The pattern of land reforms in Bihar is one of the main reason for imperfect mobilisation of backward castes into the politics. The abolition of all intermediaries had definitely helped the hard working castes like Kurmi, Koeris and Yadav. These small peasant proprietors worked very hard on their land and also drive their labourers hard, and any resistance by agricultural labourers gives rise to the mutual conflicts and atrocities on Harijans.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=M4yABACTXw4C&pg=PA780|title=Indian Political System: Trends and Challenges, Volume 10
|isbn=8171008844|chapter=Political system and constitution of India|author=Verinder Grover|publisher=Deep and Deep Publications|year=1997|pages=780–781|access-date=2020-10-05}}</ref>}}

The differences between upper backward castes and the extremely backward castes, and Dalits, due to unequal distribution of the benefits of land reforms, was a major challenge before the CPI(ML) in mobilisation of collective force of lower castes against the upper-caste landlords. The upper backward castes like Koeri were initially less attached to the CPI(ML) due to their economic progress, and the communists were only successful in mobilising them in regions [[Patna]], [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]], [[Aurangabad district, Bihar|Aurangabad]], and [[Rohtas District|Rohtas]] district. These success were attributed to the widespread [[dacoity]] and oppressive attitude of the upper-caste landlords faced by these hardworking caste groups, which prompted them to join revolutionary organisations.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zA2rCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT178|title=Government of Peace: Social Governance, Security and the Problematic of Peace|chapter=Bihar 1990-2011|author=Ranabir Samaddar|date=3 March 2016|publisher=Routledge, 2016|isbn=978-1317125372|access-date=5 October 2020|page=178}}</ref>

==Political presence==

The Kushwaha engaged in political action during these latter days of the Raj. Around 1933 and 1934,{{efn|The date of formation of the Triveni Sangh has been variously stated. Some sources have said it was the 1920s but Kumar notes recently discovered documentation that makes 1933 more likely,<ref>{{cite book |pages=43, 196 |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA43 |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}</ref> whilst Jaffrelot has said 1934.<ref name="Jaffrelot197"/>}} the Koeris joined with the Kurmis and Yadavs to form the [[Triveni Sangh]], a caste federation that by 1936 claimed to have a million supporters. This coalition followed an alliance for the 1930 local elections, which performed poorly at the polls. The new grouping had little electoral success; it won a few seats in the [[1937 Indian provincial elections|1937 elections]] but was defeated by a two-pronged opposition that saw the rival [[Indian National Congress]] (Congress) attracting some of its wealthier leaders to a newly formed unit called the Backward Class Federation, and an effective opposition from upper castes organised to prevent upward mobility of the lower castes. Also, the three putatively allied castes were unable to reconcile their rivalries. The Triveni Sangh also faced competition from the [[All India Kisan Sabha]], a peasant-oriented socio-political campaigning group run by communists. The appeal of the Triveni Sangh had significantly waned by 1947<ref name="Jaffrelot197">{{cite book |title=India's silent revolution: the rise of the lower castes in North India |first=Christophe |last=Jaffrelot |edition=Reprinted |publisher=C. Hurst & Co. |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85065-670-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OAkW94DtUMAC |pages=197–198}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |page=44 |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA44 |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}</ref> but had achieved a measure of success outside elections by exerting sufficient influence to bring an end to the [[Veth (India)|begar]] system of forced, unpaid labour; and by providing a platform for people seeking reservation of jobs in government for non-upper-caste people.<ref>{{cite book |page=36 |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA36 |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}</ref> In 1965, there was an abortive attempt to revive the defunct federation.<ref>{{cite book |page=62 |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA62 |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}</ref>

The Kisan Sabha was dominated by peasant castes like the Koeri, Kurmi, and Yadav; historian [[Gyanendra Pandey (historian)|Gyan Pandey]] termed them mainly movements of the middle-peasant castes who organised against eviction with limited participation of other communities. The reality, however, was more complex. Dalit communities like the Chamars and Pasis, whose traditional occupations were leatherwork and toddy-tapping respectively, formed a significant portion of the landless peasantry and were significant in the Kisan Sabha, which also included members of the high castes such as Brahmins.<ref>{{cite book |title=Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in North India |first=Ramnarayan S. |last=Rawat |author-link=Ram Narayan Rawat |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-25322-262-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bz5dKC81O3IC&pg=PA12 |publisher=Indiana University Press |pages=12–15}}</ref> The Koeris also had a significant presence in the 1960s [[Naxalite–Maoist insurgency|Naxalite movement]] in rural Bihar, particularly in [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]] and nearby areas like [[Arrah]], where an economic system dominated by upper-caste landlords was still in place.<ref>{{cite news|first=Suroor|last=Ahmed|date=31 October 2018|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/bihar-seat-sharing-amit-shah-had-no-time-to-meet-kushwaha-rlsp-leaders-upset|title=Bihar-seat-sharing-amit-shah-had-no-time-to-meet-kushwaha-rlsp-leaders-upset|work=[[National Herald]]|access-date=3 August 2020|archive-date=17 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717023147/https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/bihar-seat-sharing-amit-shah-had-no-time-to-meet-kushwaha-rlsp-leaders-upset|url-status=live}}</ref> Here, the communist upsurge against the prevalent feudal system was led by [[Jagdish Mahto]], a Koeri teacher who had read [[B. R. Ambedkar|Ambedkar]] and [[Marx]], and was sympathetic to the cause of Dalits.<ref name="Santosh"/>

Mahto organised his militia under the banner [[Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation|Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist)]] (CPI(ML)), which murdered many upper-caste landlords in the region. These violent clashes demarcated the boundaries between Koeris and [[Bhumihar]]s in the [[Ekwaari]].<ref name="Santosh">{{cite book|title = Reinventing Revolution: New Social Movements and the Socialist Tradition in India|first=Gail|last= Omvedt|publisher=M.E.Sharpe |page=59|year=1993|isbn=0765631768|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wlxb0uacnRcC&q=Reinventing+Revolution:+New+So/jagdish+mahto&pg=PA59|access-date=16 June 2020}}^ Its first mass leader was Jagdish Mahto, a Koeri teacher who had read Ambedkar before he discovered Marx and started a paper in the town of Arrah called Harijanistan ("dalit land").</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVu8CgAAQBAJ&q=on+February+17+1967+jagdish+went+to+the+polling+booth+to+caste+his+vote&pg=PT142|title=Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar|first=Santosh|last= Singh|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing|year= 2015|isbn=978-9385436420|access-date=19 July 2020}}</ref> For much of the 20th century, the Koeri were generally less effective and less involved in politics than the Kurmis and Yadavs, who broadly shared their socio-economic position in Hindu society. The latter two groups were more vociferous in their actions, including involvement in caste rioting, whilst the Koeris had only a brief prominence during the rise of [[Jagdeo Prasad]]. This muted position dramatically changed in the 1990s when the rise to power of [[Lalu Prasad]] in Bihar caused an assertion of Yadav-centric policies that demanded a loud reaction.<ref name="Ashwini">{{cite book |pages=34–37 |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA36 |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}</ref>

Earlier, the Koeris were given fair representation in the state governments of [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] and [[Rabri Devi]]. The Backward politics of Lalu Prasad Yadav resulted in rise to political prominence of numerous Backward castes, among which the Koeri were prominent.<ref name="Ashwini"/> In this period, caste remained the most-effective tool of political mobilisation; some leaders who were theoretically opposed to caste-based politics also appealed to caste loyalties to secure their victory. The Rabri Devi government appointed ten Koeris as ministers in her cabinet, which was sought by many community leaders as a fair representation of the caste.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-CavJF-EVEC&q=rabri+devi+government+had+10+koeri+minister&pg=PA166|title=Towards a New Era: Economic, Social and Political Reforms|first=M. L.|last= Sondhi|publisher=Har-Anand Publications|year= 2001|isbn=8124108005|access-date=19 July 2020}}</ref> The portrayal of Lalu Prasad Yadav as a "Messiah of Backward castes" lost traction when the Yadav ascendancy in politics led other aspirational Backward castes to move away from his party. During the 1990s, [[Nitish Kumar]], who was projected as the leader of Kurmi and Koeri communities, formed the [[Samta Party]], leading to the isolation of Koeri-Kurmi community from Yadavs and Laloo Prasad.<ref name="Ashwini"/><ref name="Thakur">{{cite book|title=City, Society, and Planning: Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=odCJoIaDqZ0C&q=koeri+bihar+politics&pg=PA400|first=Baleshwar|last=Thakur|location =University of Akron. Department of Geography & Planning, Association of American Geographers|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|pages=393–400|year=2007|
isbn=978-8180694608|access-date=16 June 2020}} Samta with its leader Nitish is considered to be the party of Koeri-Kurmi, the [[Bihar People's Party]] led by [[Anand Mohan]] is perceived to have sympathy and support of Rajputs.</ref>

In the decades following independence, a complete shift of power from upper castes to the "upper Backward castes"; a term coined to describe the Koeri, Yadav, Kurmi, and [[Bania (caste)|Bania]] in Bihar. The transfer of power also occurred at the local level of governance. The upper caste were first to acquire education and initially benefitted from it but with the expansion in electoral franchise and growth of the "party system", they lost support to upper Backward communities. Nepotism and patronage for fellow caste members in government, which had previously been an upper-caste phenomenon, was now available to the upper Backward communities. This phenomenon continued in the 1970s with the premiership of [[Karpoori Thakur]], who had provided 12% reservation to lower Backward castes and 8% to upper Backward castes, in which the Koeri were included. The peak of this patronage was reached during the tenure of Laloo Yadav.<ref name="Thakur"/>

From 1990 onwards, the solidarity of Backward castes was severely weakened due to division among the Koeri-Kurmi community and Yadavs, whose voting patterns were contrasted. When the Samta Party allied with the [[Bhartiya Janata Party]] (BJP), Koeris voted for this alliance and in the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fared well, mostly due to the support of Koeri and Kurmis. The division among Backwards castes also cost their representation in the assemblies. The profile of the Bihar legislative assembly rapidly changed since 1967; until 1995 or 1996, the representation of upper castes was reduced to around 17% but the division among Backwards castes served as a hope to the upper castes to at least increase their representation. The success of the BJP-Samta coalition also consolidated the Koeris and the Kurmis, who merged as a political force in 1996 elections.<ref>{{cite book|title=Caste and Democratic Politics in India|first=Ghanshyam|last=Shah|publisher=Orient Blackswan|year=2004|isbn=8178240955|pages=346, 350–354
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aou17T8KaEEC&q=caste+and+bihar+politics&pg=PA346|access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref>

Since 1996, Koeris voted ''en masse'' for the [[Janata Dal (United)]] (JD (U))-BJP coalition. The caste-based polarisation in Bihar and other states moved the dominant Backwards castes away from the [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] and distributed their votes to other political parties. Koeris, who were one of the most-populous caste groups, were shifted first towards the JD (U)-BJP coalition. After the expulsion of [[Upendra Kushwaha]] from the JD (U) and the formation of the [[Rashtriya Lok Samata Party]], their votes were distributed amongst the JD (U) and the new social coalition of the BJP with the [[Lok Janshakti Party]] and the [[Rashtriya Lok Samata Party]].<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONcNDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT158|title=Electoral Politics in India: The Resurgence of the Bharatiya Janata Party|chapter=7. The eastern gift, BJP's 2014 victory in Bihar|author1=Suhas Palshikar|author2=Sanjay Kumar|author3=Sanjay Lodha|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2017|isbn =978-1351996914|access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref> In the 2015 [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]] election, Janata Dal (United) allied with its rival [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] due to differences with the BJP. Due to the social composition of these parties and the core-voter base, this coalition drew immense support from the Yadav, Kurmi, and Kushwaha castes, which rarely voted together after the 1990s. Consequently, the coalition emerged with a massive victory and the number of legislators from these agrarian castes grew compared to previous elections.<ref>{{cite news|last=Eshwar|date=30 October 2020|url=https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/bihar-caste-politics-data-analysis-nitish-kumar-advantage-nda-bjp-jdu-mahagathbandhan-rjd-return-as-cm#read-more|title=Which Caste Holds Key to Nitish's Return as CM? Here's the Data|work=[[The Quint]]|access-date=24 November 2020|archive-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124202848/https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/bihar-caste-politics-data-analysis-nitish-kumar-advantage-nda-bjp-jdu-mahagathbandhan-rjd-return-as-cm#read-more|url-status=live}}</ref> The coalition was later dissolved and in the 2020 Assembly election, the disunity among the three castes and split of votes led to huge decline in the number of Kushwaha legislators.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/bihar/one-in-every-four-members-in-new-bihar-assembly-will-be-from-upper-caste/articleshow/79214031.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129214537/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/bihar/one-in-every-four-members-in-new-bihar-assembly-will-be-from-upper-caste/articleshow/79214031.cms?from=mdr |title=One in every four new Bihar assembly members is from upper castes|website=[[Times of India]]| date=17 November 2020 |access-date=24 November 2020|archive-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>

Though generally considered as supporters of Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, the Kushwaha community in some of the [[Leftism|left]]-dominated assembly constituencies like [[Ziradei Assembly constituency|Ziradel]] and [[Bibhutipur Assembly constituency|Bibhutipur]] are also core supporters of communist parties— [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] and [[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]]; mainly because of the creation of rooted leaders like [[Ramdeo Verma]] and [[Amarjeet Kushwaha]] from the community by these parties.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pandey |first1=Rajan |last2=Kumar |first2=Sajjan |date=9 October 2020 |title=How a Reinvented Left Is Gaining Electoral Significance in Poll-Bound Bihar |url=https://thewire.in/politics/left-parties-bihar-elections-rjd |work=The Wire |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=18 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218183009/https://thewire.in/politics/left-parties-bihar-elections-rjd |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to author and political analyst [[Prem Kumar Mani]], Kushwahas are more acceptable to other caste groups specially the Extremely Backward Castes in Bihar, when it comes to assuming the political leadership of latter. Mani points towards existence of cordial relationship of Kushwahas with the other caste groups in Bihar's villages, where guests of all rural communities are sent to ''Mahto Ji ka Dalan'' (a rural living room owned by Kushwahas in popular village culture) to spend the night. As a political bloc, Kushwahas decides the results of elections in at least 63 [[Bihar Legislative Assembly|assembly seats]] and in half a dozen [[Lok Sabha]] seats like [[Arrah Lok Sabha constituency|Ara]], [[Khagaria Lok Sabha constituency|Khagaria]], [[Karakat Lok Sabha constituency|Karakat]], [[Ujiarpur Lok Sabha constituency|Ujiyarpur]] and [[Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency|Sasaram]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Dipak |date=2 April 2023 |title=Part of Nitish's core 'Luv-Kush' votebank & on BJP radar — why Kushwahas are sought after in Bihar politics |url=https://theprint.in/politics/part-of-nitishs-core-luv-kush-votebank-on-bjp-radar-why-kushwahas-are-sought-after-in-bihar-politics/1490546/ |work=ThePrint |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409054839/https://theprint.in/politics/part-of-nitishs-core-luv-kush-votebank-on-bjp-radar-why-kushwahas-are-sought-after-in-bihar-politics/1490546/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Santosh |date=14 May 2024 |title=Nitish Kumar's core voter base for decades, why Kushwaha support for NDA is wavering |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/upendra-kushwaha-support-nda-nitish-kumar-core-voter-decades-9324668/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=15 May 2024}}</ref>

In [[Khagaria Lok Sabha constituency]], a total of five parliamentarians from the community has been elected since 1957, which is second only to Yadav parliamentarians. The Koeri parliamentarians elected from this constituency are [[Kameshwar Prasad Singh]], [[Chandra Shekhar Prasad Verma]], [[Satish Prasad Singh]], [[Shakuni Choudhary]] and [[Renu Kushwaha]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/bihar/khagaria/news/dominance-of-yadav-and-kushwaha-in-khagaria-lok-sabha-bihar-bhaskar-latet-news-132739550.html |title=Dominance of Yadavs and Kushwahas in Khagaria Lok sabha constituency |work=Dainik Bhaskar |language=hi |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=3 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403134758/https://www.bhaskar.com/local/bihar/khagaria/news/dominance-of-yadav-and-kushwaha-in-khagaria-lok-sabha-bihar-bhaskar-latet-news-132739550.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Arrah Lok Sabha constituency]] from 1951 to 2004 only Koeri and Yadav parliamentarians were elected. The Koeri parliamentarians included [[Chandradeo Prasad Verma]], [[Haridwar Prasad Singh]] and [[Ram Prasad Kushwaha]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ojha |first=Malay |date=12 September 2023 |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-ara-lok-sabha-seat-equation-caste-vote-share-election-history-latest-update-bjp-rk-singh-nda-rjd-mgb-8700595.html |title=Arrah Lok Sabha constituency, will BJP become victorious? |work=Hindustan |access-date=18 October 2023 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015004126/https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-ara-lok-sabha-seat-equation-caste-vote-share-election-history-latest-update-bjp-rk-singh-nda-rjd-mgb-8700595.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In Uttar Pradesh, Kushwaha-[[Maurya (surname)|Maurya]] community had been traditional supporters of [[Bahujan Samaj Party]], with [[Mayawati]] promoting community leaders like [[Babu Singh Kushwaha]] and [[Swami Prasad Maurya]]. Maurya was even appointed as National General Secretary of the BSP, in order to placate Kushwahas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Ramendra |date=27 April 2016 |title=Uttar Pradesh: Wary BSP works to ward off OBC vote claimants |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/mayawati-keshav-prasad-maurya-uttar-pradesh-wary-bsp-works-to-ward-off-obc-vote-claimants-2771805/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> Previously, Bahujan Samaj Party founder, [[Kanshi Ram]] also gave significant role to community in Uttar Pradesh's caste based politics.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Ramendra |date=20 April 2016 |title=Uttar Pradesh: As a Maya minister cast(e)s net to unite OBCs, BSP wary |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/uttar-pradesh-as-a-maya-minister-castes-net-to-unite-obcs-bsp-wary/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> In Uttar Pradesh, community is known by various terms like Maurya, Kushwaha, [[Shakya (surname)|Shakya]] and [[Saini (surname)|Saini]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/latest-news/eye-on-obcs-mayawati-appoints-maurya-as-bsps-national-gen-secy/ |title=Eye on OBCs, Mayawati appoints Maurya as BSP's national gen secy |work=Indian express |date=4 August 2012 |access-date=24 August 2023 |archive-date=24 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724142339/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/latest-news/eye-on-obcs-mayawati-appoints-maurya-as-bsps-national-gen-secy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Off late, Bharatiya Janata Party also started promoting leaders of the community; it raised [[Keshav Prasad Maurya]] to the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and projected him as the representative of Kushwaha and its subgroups, the Kachhi-Shakya-Maurya-Saini-[[Mali caste|Mali]] block.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yadav |first1=Shyamal |date=26 March 2022 |title=Newsmaker: Reluctant to disturb UP OBC poll calculus, BJP retains Keshav Maurya as Deputy CM |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/yogis-deputies-reluctant-to-disturb-obc-poll-calculus-bjp-retains-maurya-7836791/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016081602/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/yogis-deputies-reluctant-to-disturb-obc-poll-calculus-bjp-retains-maurya-7836791/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Besides these political parties, smaller parties like [[Mahan Dal]] led by Keshav Dev Maurya also claims to represent Kushwaha and its subgroups in state.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sensex Of Regional Parties: Sensex Of Regional Parties |author=Aaku Srivastava|year=2022|publisher =Prabhat Prakashan Pvt. Limited.}}</ref>

==Culture and beliefs==
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Death rituals in Koeris.jpg
| footer = Death rituals in [[Arya Samaj]]ist Kushwahas of North Bihar. Unlike burning on funeral pyre, the deceased is kept in a pit, and then burnt using cow dung cakes and ''[[Ghee]]''.
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The central Bihar Backward castes like Koeri are numerically and politically powerful, and reject the traditional ''[[Jajmani|Jajmani system]]'', which relies upon the Brahmanical notion of purity and pollution.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pviHAwAAQBAJ&pg=PR18|title=Caste in Question: Identity Or Hierarchy?|author=Dipankar Gupta|publisher=SAGE Publications India|year=2004|isbn=8132103459|access-date=9 October 2020}}</ref> The Backward caste groups in this region do not use the services of Brahmin priests to perform their rituals; most Koeri households employ a Koeri priest to perform their rituals, and their services are also used by other Backward castes like the Yadav. Koeri priests are different from Brahmin priests in their approval of widow remarriage. They also promote non-vegetarianism and do not grow ''tuft'' like Brahmins. Koeri priests also disapprove of the ''tika'' – a liquid form of sandalwood on the head – which is made by the Brahmin priests.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IHWKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA97|title=Understanding Social Dynamics in South Asia: Essays in Memory of Ramkrishna Mukherjee|author1=Partha Nath Mukherji|author2= N. Jayaram|author3=Bhola Nath Ghosh|publisher=Springer|year=2019|page=97|isbn=978-9811303876|access-date=7 October 2020}}</ref>

In recent times (21st century), Kushwahas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have started associating themselves with the [[Mauryan dynasty]]. The members of caste claim that they are direct descendant of the third century B.C ruler [[Chandragupta Maurya]] and his grandson [[Ashoka]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/nitish-kumar-delhi-amit-shah-bihar-8527321/ |title=Someone from Delhi will come, try to mislead you…': Nitish takes veiled dig at Shah ahead of Bihar visit |work=Indian Express |agency=PTI |date=30 March 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826192307/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/nitish-kumar-delhi-amit-shah-bihar-8527321/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/amit-shah-bihar-nitish-kumar-ashoka-8530801/ |title=Amit Shah coming to Bihar, Nitish invokes the new king among castes Emperor Ashoka |work=Indian Express |date=31 March 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016091919/https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/amit-shah-bihar-nitish-kumar-ashoka-8530801/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Classification ==

===Disputed varna status===

The Kushwaha were traditionally a peasant community and hence perceived to be of the [[Shudra]] [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=81}}</ref> Pinch described them as "skilled agriculturalists".<ref name=Pinch1996p92>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=92}}</ref> This traditional perception of Shudra status was increasingly challenged during the late decades of [[British Raj]] rule, although some castes had made claims of a higher status well before the British administration instituted its first census.{{efn|William Pinch records; "... a popular concern with status predated the rise of an imperial census apparatus and the colonial obsession with caste. ... [C]laims to personal and community dignity appeared to be part of a longer discourse that did not require European political and administrative structures."<ref>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=88}}</ref>}} The [[Kurmi]] community of cultivators, described by [[Christophe Jaffrelot]] as "middle caste peasants", led this search for greater respectability.<ref name="Jaffrelot197"/> According to Pinch; "The concern with personal dignity, community identity, and caste status reached a peak among Kurmi, Yadav, and Kushvaha peasants in the first four decades of the twentieth century".<ref name=Pinch1996p83>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |pages=83–84}}</ref>

===Identification as Kushwaha Kshatriya===
From around 1910, the Kachhis and the Koeris, both of whom had close links with the British for much of the preceding century due to their favoured role in the cultivation of the [[opium poppy]], began to identify themselves as Kushwaha [[Kshatriya]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=90}}</ref> An organisation claiming to represent those two groups and the Muraos petitioned for official recognition as one of the Kshatriya varna in 1928.<ref name="Jaffrelot199" /> This action by the [[All India Kushwaha Kshatriya Mahasabha]] (AIKKM) reflected the general trend for social uplift by communities that had traditionally been classified as Shudra. The process, which [[M. N. Srinivas]] called [[sanskritisation]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Charsley |first=S. |s2cid=143948468 |year=1998 |title=Sanskritization: The Career of an Anthropological Theory |journal=Contributions to Indian Sociology |volume=32 |issue=2 |page=527 |doi=10.1177/006996679803200216 }}</ref> was a feature of late nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century caste politics.<ref name="Jaffrelot199">{{cite book |title=India's silent revolution: the rise of the lower castes in North India |first=Christophe |last=Jaffrelot |edition=Reprinted |publisher=C. Hurst & Co. |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85065-670-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OAkW94DtUMAC |page=199}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=History of anthropological thought |first1=Vijay S. |last1=Upadhyay |first2=Gaya |last2=Pandey |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1993 |isbn=978-81-7022-492-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SNw5zVN1V0oC |page=436}}</ref>

AIKKM's position was based on the concept of [[Vaishnavism]], which promotes the worship and claims of descent from Rama or Krishna to assume the trappings of Kshatriya symbolism and thus permit the wearing of the [[sacred thread]], even though the physical labour inherent in their cultivator occupation defined them as Shudra. The movement caused the Kushwaha to abandon their claim of descent from Shiva in favour of the alternative myth of their descent from Rama.<ref>{{cite book |title=Daughters of the earth: women and land in Uttar Pradesh |first=Smita Tewari |last=Jassal |publisher=Technical Publications |year=2001 |isbn=978-81-7304-375-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6gnJmoLRZQC |pages=51–53}}</ref> In 1921, Ganga Prasad Gupta, a proponent of Kushwaha sanskritisation, published a book offering proof of the Kshatriya status of the Koeri, Kachhi, Murao, and Kushwaha.<ref name=Pinch1996p92 /><ref>{{cite book |title=Fascinating Hindutva: saffron politics and Dalit mobilisation |first=Badri |last=Narayan |publisher=SAGE |year=2009 |isbn=978-81-7829-906-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bJ_rhfu6yUC |page=25}}</ref> His reconstructed history said the Kushwaha were Hindu descendants of Kush, and that in the twelfth century, they served Raja [[Jayachandra]] in a military capacity during the Muslim consolidation of the [[Delhi Sultanate]]. Subsequent persecution by the victorious Muslims caused the Kushwaha to disperse and disguise their identity, forgoing the sacred thread, and thus becoming degraded and taking on localised community names.<ref name=Pinch1996p92 /> Gupta's attempt to prove Kshatriya status, in common with similar attempts by others to establish histories of various castes, was spread via the caste associations, which [[Dipankar Gupta]] wrote provided a link between the "urban, politically literate elite" members of a caste and the "less literate villagers".<ref>{{cite book |title=Caste in question: identity or hierarchy? |first=Dipankar |last=Gupta |publisher=SAGE |year=2004 |page=199 |isbn=978-0-7619-3324-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgpEIb4tNjgC}}</ref> Some communities, such as the Muraos in [[Ayodhya]], also constructed temples in support of these claims.<ref name=Pinch1996p98 />

Some Kushwaha reformers also said, in a similar vein to Kurmi reformer Devi Prasad Sinha Chaudhari, that since [[Rajput]]s, [[Bhumihar]]s, and Brahmins worked the fields in some areas, there was no rational basis for assertions such labour marked a community as being of the Shudra varna.<ref>{{cite book |title=Peasants and monks in British India |first=William R. |last=Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-520-20061-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEP-ceGYsnYC |page=110}}</ref> William Pinch described the growth of militancy among agricultural castes in the wake of their claims to Kshatriya status. Castes like Koeris, Kurmis, and Yadavs asserted their Kshatriya status verbally and by joining the [[British Indian Army]] as soldiers in large numbers. The growing militancy among the castes led rural Bihar to become an arena of conflict in which numerous caste-based militias surfaced and atrocities against Dalits became normalised. The militias founded during this period were named after folk figures or popular personalities who were revered by the whole community.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rebels From the Mud Houses: Dalits and the Making of the Maoist Revolution... |page=209,210 |first=George |last=kunnath|publisher=Taylor and Francis group |location=New york |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-138-09955-5|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=JkcrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA209|access-date=29 May 2020}}</ref>

===Classification as Backward Caste===
{{See also|Other Backward Class}}

Kushwahas are classified as an [[Other Backward Caste]] (OBC) in some states of India. In 2013, the Haryana government added the Kushwaha, Koeri, and Maurya castes to the list of Backward classes.<ref name="ht">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/three-castes-included-in-backward-classes-list/article1-1147408.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415174249/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/three-castes-included-in-backward-classes-list/article1-1147408.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 April 2014 |work=Hindustan Times |title=Three castes included in backward classes list |date=5 November 2013 |access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref> In Bihar they are categorised as OBC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scbc.bih.nic.in/ObcList.htm|title=Central list of backward castes (Bihar)|website=scbc.bih.nic|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=3 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103135501/http://scbc.bih.nic.in/ObcList.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sub-castes of Kushwaha community, such as the Kachhi, [[Shakya]], and Koeri, are also categorised as OBC in [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/user_panel/GazetteResolution.aspx?Value=mPICjsL1aLvxbegUDuc3MN4eB5E3Ecc1drRPAf1qXQ%2bl0IqIfhjN1xHrf4i2h5g0|title=Central list of OBC (Uttar Pradesh)|website=ncbc.nic.in|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=20 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020162131/http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/GazetteResolution.aspx?Value=mPICjsL1aLvxbegUDuc3MN4eB5E3Ecc1drRPAf1qXQ%2Bl0IqIfhjN1xHrf4i2h5g0|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Kushwaha (surname)]]
*[[Mahto]]

== References ==
'''Notes'''
{{notelist}}

'''Citations'''
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A1qXDQAAQBAJ&q=rabri+devi+government+had+10+koeri+minister|title= Social Movements and the State in India: Deepening Democracy?|first=Kenneth Bo Nielsen|last= Alf Gunvald Nilsen|date= 23 November 2016|publisher=Springer|pages=2016|isbn= 978-1137591333|access-date=19 July 2020}}
*{{cite book|title=From popular movement to rebellion:The Naxalite dacade|page= 317,318|first=Ranbir|last=Samaddar|publisher=Routledge|location =New york|year=2019|isbn= 978-0-367-13466-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjZ7DwAAQBAJ&q=jagdish+prasad+mahto+naxal&pg=PT317|access-date=30 May 2020}}

[[Category:Agricultural castes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Bihar]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Hindu communities]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]

68th Filmfare Awards

2026-06-17T14:16:43Z

BellaCH:

{{Short description|2023 awards for Hindi cinema}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox film awards|number=68|award=Filmfare Awards|image=68th Filmfare Award logo.png|image_size=|caption=|presented_date=27 April 2023|site=Jio World Centre, [[Mumbai]]|host=[[Salman Khan]],<br>[[Ayushmann Khurana]]<br>[[Maniesh Paul]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/68th-filmfare-awards-2023-salman-khan-announces-he-will-be-hosting-this-years-ceremony-on-april-27/articleshow/99275222.cms|title=68th Filmfare Awards 2023: Salman Khan to host this year's ceremony on April 27|work=The Times of India|location=India|date=2023-04-05|access-date=2023-04-24|archive-date=28 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428211919/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/68th-filmfare-awards-2023-salman-khan-announces-he-will-be-hosting-this-years-ceremony-on-april-27/articleshow/99275222.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>|organizer=[[The Times Group]]|website={{URL|https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2023/|Filmfare Awards 2023}}|best_film=''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''|most_wins=''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (11)|most_nominations=''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (17)|best_director=[[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]] for ''Gangubai Kathiawadi''|best_actor=[[Rajkummar Rao]] for ''[[Badhaai Do]]''|best_actress=[[Alia Bhatt]] for ''Gangubai Kathiawadi''|best_critic=''Badhaai Do''|network=[[Colors TV]]|last=67th|next=69th}}

The '''68th Filmfare Awards''' was a ceremony, presented by [[The Times Group]], honored the best Indian [[Hindi cinema|Hindi-language films]] of [[List of Hindi films of 2022|2022]].

''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'' led the ceremony with 17 nominations, and won a leading 11 awards, including [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] (for [[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]]) and [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (for [[Alia Bhatt]]).

''[[Badhaai Do]]'' won 6 awards, including [[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film|Best Film (Critics)]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] (for [[Rajkummar Rao]]), [[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress (Critics)]] (for [[Bhumi Pednekar]]) and [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] (for [[Sheeba Chaddha]]), and ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'' won 5 awards, including [[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]] (for [[Pritam]]), [[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]] (for [[Amitabh Bhattacharya]]) and [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Male Playback Singer]] (for [[Arijit Singh]]), the latter two for the song "[[Kesariya (song)|Kesariya]]".<ref name="ff23win">{{cite news|title=Winners of the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023|url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2023/winners|date=28 April 2023|work=Filmfare|access-date=28 April 2023|archive-date=27 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427192148/https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2023/winners|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sheeba Chaddha received dual nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her performances in ''Badhaai Do'' and ''[[Doctor G]]'', winning the award for the former.

== Ceremony ==
Held at Jio World Centre, the 68th Filmfare Awards honored the films released in 2022. At a press conference helmed by editor of ''[[Filmfare]]'' magazine, Jitesh Pillai revealed [[Hyundai Motor Group|Hyundai]] as the title sponsor. It was announced that actors [[Salman Khan]] and [[Ayushmann Khurana]] and [[Manish Paul]] were announced as the co-hosts, while actors [[Tiger Shroff]], [[Vicky Kaushal]], [[Kartik Aaryan]], [[Jacqueline Fernandez]], [[Janhvi Kapoor]], [[Varun Dhawan]] and [[Govinda (actor)|Govinda]] would perform during the ceremony. It took place on 27 April 2023, and was broadcast on 28 April 2023 on [[Colors TV]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnttv.com/entertainment/story/filmfare-awards-2023-happening-on-this-day-salman-khan-will-host-the-show-with-manish-paul-and-ayushman-khurana-546183-2023-04-21|title=Filmfare Awards 2023: इस दिन होगा फिल्मफेयर अवॉर्ड शो, सलमान खान करेंगे होस्ट, यहां से बुक कर सकते हैं टिकट|publisher=GNT|location=India|date=2023-04-21|access-date=2023-04-24|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424125922/https://www.gnttv.com/entertainment/story/filmfare-awards-2023-happening-on-this-day-salman-khan-will-host-the-show-with-manish-paul-and-ayushman-khurana-546183-2023-04-21|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Winners and nominees ==
The nominations were announced by Filmfare on 24 April 2023.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nominations For The 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 With Maharashtra Tourism|url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/nominations-for-the-68th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2023-with-maharashtra-tourism-58094.html|access-date=24 April 2023|work=Filmfare|date=24 April 2023|language=en|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424083516/https://www.filmfare.com/features/nominations-for-the-68th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2023-with-maharashtra-tourism-58094.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{multiple image|border=infobox|total_width=700|image_style=|perrow=7/7|caption_align=left|image1=Sanjay Leela Bhansali at Berlinale 2022.jpg|caption1=[[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]], Best Director|image2=Alia Bhatt attends at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival (cropped) (cropped).jpg|caption2=[[Alia Bhatt]], Best Actress|image3=Actor Rajkummar Rao.jpg|caption3=[[Rajkummar Rao]], Best Actor|image4=Tabu at Esha Deol's wedding reception 08 (cropped).jpg|caption4=[[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]], Best Actress Critics co-winner|image5=Sanjay Mishra at the trailer launch of Meerutiya Gangsters.jpg|caption5=[[Sanjay Mishra (actor)|Sanjay Mishra]], Best Actor Critics|image6=Actress Bhumi Pednekar at the Master Class on Breaking Stereotypes, during the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2017), in Panaji, Goa on November 25, 2017 (cropped).jpg|caption6=[[Bhumi Pednekar]], Best Actress Critics co-winner|image7=Harshavardhan Kulkarni, Writer, Director & Producer (cropped).png|caption7=[[Harshavardhan Kulkarni]], Best Director Critics|image8=Anil Kapoor 1.jpeg|caption8=[[Anil Kapoor]], Best Supporting Actor|image9=Sheeba Chaddha.jpg|caption9=[[Sheeba Chaddha]], Best Supporting Actress|image10=Arijit 5th GiMA Awards (cropped, retouched).jpg|caption10=[[Arijit Singh]], Best Male Playback Singer|image11=Kavita Seth.jpg|caption11=[[Kavita Seth]], Best Female Playback Singer|image12=Amitabh Bhattacharya.jpg|caption12=[[Amitabh Bhattacharya]], Best Lyricist|image13=Pritam Chakraborty at Deepika's Cocktail success bash 07.jpg|caption13=[[Pritam]], Best Music Director|image14=Prem Chopra on November 21, 2013.jpg|caption14=[[Prem Chopra]], Lifetime Achievement Awardee}}

=== Popular awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
|-
| colspan="3" |
* '''''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'' – Bhansali Productions, [[Pen India Limited]]'''
** ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' – [[Junglee Pictures]], [[Zee Studios]]
** ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]'' – [[T-Series Films]], Cine1 Studios
** ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'' – [[Dharma Productions]], [[Star Studios]], Prime Focus, Starlight Pictures
** ''[[The Kashmir Files]]'' – [[Zee Studios]], Abhishek Agarwal Arts
** ''[[Uunchai]]'' – [[Rajshri Productions]], [[Mahaveer Jain Films]], Boundless Media
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** [[Anees Bazmee]] – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
** [[Ayan Mukerji]] – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** [[Harshavardhan Kulkarni]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]''
** [[Sooraj Barjatya]] – ''[[Uunchai]]''
** [[Vivek Agnihotri]] – ''[[The Kashmir Files]]''
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|-
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Rajkummar Rao]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Shardul Thakur'''
** [[Ajay Devgn]] – ''[[Drishyam 2 (2022 film)|Drishyam 2]]'' as Vijay Salgaonkar
** [[Amitabh Bachchan]] – ''[[Uunchai]]'' as Amit Srivastava
** [[Anupam Kher]] – ''[[The Kashmir Files]]'' as Pushkar Nath Pandit
** [[Hrithik Roshan]] – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]'' as Vedha Betal
** [[Kartik Aaryan]] – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]'' as Ruhaan Randhawa a.k.a. Rooh Baba
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Alia Bhatt]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'' as [[Gangubai Kothewali|Gangubai]]'''
** [[Bhumi Pednekar]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Suman 'Sumi' Singh
** [[Janhvi Kapoor]] – ''[[Mili (2022 film)|Mili]]'' as Mili Naudiyal
** [[Kareena Kapoor|Kareena Kapoor Khan]] – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]'' as Rupa D'Souza Chaddha
** [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]] – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]'' as Anjulika Chatterjee and Manjulika Chatterjee
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Anil Kapoor]] – ''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]'' as Bheem Saini'''
** [[Anupam Kher]] – ''[[Uunchai]]'' as Om Sharma
** [[Darshan Kumar]] – ''[[The Kashmir Files]]'' as Krishna Pandit
** [[Gulshan Devaiah]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Guru Narayan
** [[Jaideep Ahlawat]] – ''[[An Action Hero]]'' as Bhoora Singh Solanki
** [[Manish Paul]] – ''Jugjugg Jeeyo'' as Gurpreet Sharma
** [[Mithun Chakraborty]] – ''The Kashmir Files'' as IAS Brahma Dutt
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Sheeba Chaddha]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Mrs. Thakur'''
** [[Mouni Roy]] – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'' as Junoon
** [[Neetu Singh|Neetu Kapoor]] – ''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]'' as Geeta Saini
** Sheeba Chaddha – ''[[Doctor G]]'' as Shobha Gupta,
** [[Shefali Shah]] – ''Doctor G'' as Dr. Nandini Srivastav
** [[Simran (actress)|Simran]] – ''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]'' as Meena Narayanan
|-
! colspan="6" style="background:#FFAA00;" |Debut Awards
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut|Best Male Debut]]
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut|Best Female Debut]]
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director|Best Debut Director]]
|-
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''Ankush Gedam – ''[[Jhund (film)|Jhund]]'' as Ankush Masram'''
** Abhay Mishr – ''[[Doctor G]]'' as Abhishek Chandel
** Paalin Kabak – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]'' as Jomin
** [[Shantanu Maheshwari]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'' as Afsaan Badr-ur-Razzaq
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Andrea Kevichüsa]] – ''[[Anek]]'' as Aido'''
** Khushali Kumar – ''[[Dhokha: Round D Corner]]'' as Saanchi Sinha
** [[Manushi Chhillar]] – ''[[Samrat Prithviraj]]'' as [[Sanyogita]]
** [[Prajakta Koli]] – ''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]'' as Ginny Saini
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Jaspal Singh Sandhu]] And Rajeev Barnwal – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]'''''
** Anirudh Iyer – ''[[An Action Hero]]''
** Anubhuti Kashyap – ''[[Doctor G]]''
** Jai Basantu Singh – ''[[Janhit Mein Jaari]]''
** [[R. Madhavan]] – ''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]''
|-
! colspan="6" style="background:#FFAA00;" |Writing Awards
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]]
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]]
|-
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'''''
** Anirudh Iyer – ''[[An Action Hero]]''
** [[Jaspal Singh Sandhu]] And Rajeev Barnwal – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]''
** [[Niren Bhatt]] – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Sunil Gandhi – ''[[Uunchai]]''
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Harshavardhan Kulkarni]], Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'''''
** Aakash Kaushik – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
** Jaspal Singh Sandhu And Rajeev Barnwal – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]''
** Neeraj Yadav – ''[[An Action Hero]]''
** [[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]] and Utkarshini Vashishtha – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
** [[Vivek Agnihotri|Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri]] – ''[[The Kashmir Files]]''
| colspan="2;" valign="top" |
* '''Prakash Kapadia and Utkarshini Vashishtha – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** Abhishek Dixit – ''[[Uunchai]]''
** Akshat Ghildial – ''[[Badhaai Do]]''
** [[Manoj Muntashir]] and B. S. Fida – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
** Neeraj Yadav – ''[[An Action Hero]]''
** Sumit Saxena – ''[[Doctor G]]''
|-
! colspan="6" style="background:#FFAA00;" |Music Awards
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]]
|-
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Pritam]] – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'''''
** [[Amit Trivedi]] – ''[[Uunchai]]''
** Pritam – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** [[Sachin–Jigar]] – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** [[Sanjay Leela Bhansali]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Amitabh Bhattacharya]] – "[[Kesariya (song)|Kesariya]]" – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'''''
** [[A. M. Turaz]] – "Jab Saiyaan" – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
** Amitabh Bhattacharya – "Apna Bana Le" – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Amitabh Bhattacharya – "Tere Hawaale" – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** [[Shellee]] – "Maiyya Mainu" – ''[[Jersey (2022 film)|Jersey]]''
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer – Male]]
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer – Female]]
|-
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Arijit Singh]] – "[[Kesariya (song)|Kesariya]]" – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'''''
** [[Abhay Jodhpurkar]] – "Maange Manzooriyan" – ''[[Badhaai Do]]''
** Arijit Singh – "Apna Bana Le" – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Arijit Singh – "Deva Deva" – ''Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva''
** [[Sonu Nigam]] – "Main Ki Karaan?" – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
| colspan="3;" valign="top" |
* '''[[Kavita Seth]] – "[[Rangisari]]" – ''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]'''''
** Janhvi Shrimankar – "Dholida" – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
** [[Jonita Gandhi]] – "Deva Deva" – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** [[Shilpa Rao]] – "Tere Hawaale" – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** [[Shreya Ghoshal]] – "Jab Saiyaan" – ''Gangubai Kathiawadi''
|}

=== Critics' awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|-
| colspan="2" |
* '''[[Harshavardhan Kulkarni]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'''''
** [[Amar Kaushik]] – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** [[Jaspal Singh Sandhu]] and Rajeev Barnwal – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]''
** [[Nagraj Manjule]] – ''[[Jhund (film)|Jhund]]''
** [[R. Madhavan]] – ''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]''
|-
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|-
|
* '''[[Sanjay Mishra (actor)|Sanjay Mishra]] – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]'' as Shambhunath Mishra'''
** [[Amitabh Bachchan]] – ''[[Jhund (film)|Jhund]]'' as Vijay Borade
** [[R. Madhavan]] – ''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]'' as [[Nambi Narayanan]]
** [[Rajkummar Rao]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Shradul Thakur
** [[Shahid Kapoor]] – ''[[Jersey (2022 film)|Jersey]]'' as Arjun Talwar
** [[Varun Dhawan]] – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]'' as Bhaskar Sharma
|
* '''[[Bhumi Pednekar]] – ''[[Badhaai Do]]'' as Suman 'Sumi' Singh'''
* '''[[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]] – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]'' as Anjulika Chatterjee and Manjulika Chatterjee'''
** [[Kajol]] – ''[[Salaam Venky]]'' as Kolavennu Sujata Krishnan
** [[Neena Gupta]] – ''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]'' as Manju Mishra
** [[Taapsee Pannu]] – ''[[Shabaash Mithu]]'' as [[Mithali Raj]]
|}

=== Special awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Special Award]]
|-
|
|-
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award]]
|-
|
* [[Prem Chopra]]
|-
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare R. D. Burman Award]]
|-
|
* Janhvi Shrimankar for "Dholida" from ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
|}

=== Technical awards ===
Nominations for the Technical awards were announced on 24 April 2023.<ref>{{cite news|title=Filmfare Awards 2023 nominations: Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi to compete with Brahmastra. Details here|url=https://mirchi.in/stories/movies/filmfare-awards-2023-nominations-alia-bhatts-gangubai-kathiawadi-to-compete-with-brahmastra-details-here/99731504|access-date=24 April 2023|work=Mirchi Plus|date=|language=en|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424132509/https://mirchi.in/stories/movies/filmfare-awards-2023-nominations-alia-bhatts-gangubai-kathiawadi-to-compete-with-brahmastra-details-here/99731504|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction|Best Production Design]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''Ninad Khanolkar – ''[[An Action Hero]]'''''
** Amin Khatib – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
** Sandeep Francis – ''[[Drishyam 2 (2022 film)|Drishyam 2]]''
** Sankh Rajyadhyaksha – ''[[The Kashmir Files]]''
** Sanyukta Kaza – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** Amrita Mahal Nakai – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** Durga Prasad Mahapatra – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
** Mayur Sharma and Apurva Sondhi – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Mustufa Satitionwala – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** Rajat Poddar – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''[[Kruti Mahesh]] – "Dholida" – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** [[Bosco–Caesar]] – "[[Rangisari]]" – ''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]''
** Bosco–Caesar – "Title Track" – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
** [[Ganesh Acharya]] – "Dance Ka Bhoot" – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** Ganesh Acharya – "Thukeshwari" – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** [[Ganesh Hegde]] – "Alcoholia" – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
|-
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer|Best Cinematography]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Sound Design|Best Sound Design]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Background Score|Best Background Score]]
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''[[Sudeep Chatterjee]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** [[Ewan Mulligan]] – ''[[Anek]]''
** Kaushal Shah – ''[[An Action Hero]]''
** [[P. S. Vinod]] – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
** [[Setu]] – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''[[Bishwadeep Chatterjee|Bishwadeep Deepak Chatterjee]] – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'''''
** Kaamod L Kharde – ''[[Anek]]''
** Kunal Sharma – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Leslie Fernandes – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
** Sanal George – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''[[Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** Mangesh Dhakde – ''[[Anek]]''
** [[Pritam]], Jim Satya, Prasad S, [[Meghdeep Bose]], Tanuj Tiku, Ketan Sodha, [[Sunny M.R.]] – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** [[Sachin-Jigar]] – ''[[Bhediya (film)|Bhediya]]''
** Sam CS – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
|-
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Action|Best Action]]
! style="background:#EEDD82;" |[[Filmfare Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''[[Sheetal Sharma|Sheetal Iqbal Sharma]] – ''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]'''''
** [[Maxima Basu]] – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** Pritanka Gayatri Dubey, Mahananda Sagaare and Veera Kapoor EE – ''[[Jhund (film)|Jhund]]''
** Rohit Chaturvedi – ''[[Badhaai Do]]''
** Sanjeev Rajsingh Parmar – ''[[Samrat Prithviraj]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''Parvez Shaikh – ''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]'''''
** Amin Khatib – ''[[Drishyam 2 (2022 film)|Drishyam 2]]''
** [[Dan Bradley]], Diyan Hristov and Parvez Shaikh – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
** [[Faruk Kabir]] and Yannick Ben – ''[[Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 – Agni Pariksha]]''
** Ram Chella, Lakshman Chella, Parvez Shaikh and Kecha Khamphakdee – ''[[Heropanti 2]]''
** Sea Young Oh, Parvez Shaikh, Hitz International Action Specialists – ''[[Dhaakad]]''
| valign="top" |
* '''Dneg, ReDefine – ''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]'''''
** Assemblage Entertainment PVT. – ''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]''
** [[Red Chillies VFX]] – ''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
** Red Chillies VFX, After Studios – ''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
|}

=== Short film awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="6" style="background:#FFAA00;" |Best Short Film
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |Fiction
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |Non-fiction
! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82;" |People's Choice
|-
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |Best Actor – Male (Short Film)
! colspan="3" style="background:#EEDD82;" |Best Actor – Female (Short Film)
|-
| colspan="3" |
| colspan="3" |
|}

== Superlatives ==
{| class="wikitable" style="display:inline-table;"
|+Multiple nominations
!Nominations
!Film
|-
!16
|''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
|-
! rowspan="2" |14
|''[[Badhaai Do]]''
|-
|''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
|-
!12
|[[Bhediya (film)|''Bhediya'']]
|-
!10
|''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
|-
!9
|''[[Laal Singh Chaddha]]''
|-
!8
|''[[Vikram Vedha (2022 film)|Vikram Vedha]]''
|-
|-
! rowspan="3" |7
|''[[The Kashmir Files]]''
|-
|''[[Uunchai]]''
|-
|''[[An Action Hero]]''
|-
! rowspan="3" |6
|''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]''
|-
|''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]''
|-
|''[[Doctor G]]''
|-
!5
|''[[Rocketry: The Nambi Effect]]''
|-
! rowspan="2" |4
|''[[Jhund (film)|Jhund]]''
|-
|''[[Anek]]''
|-
!3
|''[[Drishyam 2 (2022 film)|Drishyam 2]]''
|-
!2
|''[[Jersey (2022 film)|Jersey]]''
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="display:inline-table;"
|+Multiple wins
!Awards
!Film
|-
! scope="row" |11
|''[[Gangubai Kathiawadi]]''
|-
!6
|''[[Badhaai Do]]''
|-
!5
|''[[Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva]]''
|-
! rowspan="2" |2
|''[[Jugjugg Jeeyo]]''
|-
|''[[Vadh (2022 film)|Vadh]]''
|}

== See also ==

* [[Filmfare Awards]]
* [[List of Hindi films of 2022]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Filmfare Awards}}

68th Filmfare Awards

2026-06-17T14:15:38Z

BellaCH: Article created via ArticleWizard

{{Under construction}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

Aakash Kaushik

2026-06-17T07:34:14Z

BellaCH: New page

[[Category:Living people]]
{{Short description|Indian screenwriter}}

{{Use Indian English|date=April 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}

{{Infobox person|name=|image=|caption=|birth_date=|birth_place=[[Delhi]], India|other_names=|alma_mater=[[Film and Television Institute of India|FTII]], Pune|occupation={{hlist|Screenwriter|film director}}|years_active=2007–present|notable_works=|spouse=Neha Tyagi Kaushik|children=}}

'''Aakash Kaushik''' is an Indian screenwriter and director who predominantly works in [[Hindi cinema|Hindi]] films. He began his career as a writer with ''[[F.A.L.T.U]]'' (2011).<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 May 2022|last=Bhatnagar|first=Rohit|title='I don't want to get stuck to a particular genre,' shares Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 writer Aakash Kaushik|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/i-dont-want-to-get-stuck-to-a-particular-genre-shares-bhool-bhulaiyaa-2-writer-aakash-kaushik|website=[[The Free Press Journal]]|access-date=25 April 2026}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Kaushik was born in [[Delhi]], India. He studied filmmaking at [[Film and Television Institute of India]], Pune.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 May 2022|last=Raviraj Sinha|first=Kumar|title=I am big fan of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 1; biggest challenge for me was to bring a new story: Writer Aakash Kaushik|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/interview/i-am-big-fan-of-bhool-bhulaiyaa-1-biggest-challenge-for-me-was-to-bring-a-new-story-writer-aakash-kaushik|website=[[National Herald]]|access-date=25 April 2026}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{{Pending films key}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Director
! scope="col" |Writer
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |Notes
|-
|2007
! scope="row" |''[[Partition (2007 film)|Partition]]''
|{{No}}
|{{No}}
|Credited as production trainee
|-
|2011
! scope="row" |''[[F.A.L.T.U]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Partial|Dialogue}}
|
|-
|2012
! scope="row" |''[[Jodi Breakers]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|
|-
|2013
! scope="row" |''[[Rabba Main Kya Karoon]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
! scope="row" |''[[Great Grand Masti]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=15 July 2016|last=Banerjee|first=Arnab|title=Great Grand Masti movie review: A flat-out unamusing comedy|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/160716/great-grand-masti-movie-review-a-flat-out-unamusing-comedy.html|website=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[A Flying Jatt]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Partial|Additional}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 August 2016|last=Thakur|first=Tanul|title=A Crash Landing into Mediocrity by This Flying Jatt|url=https://thewire.in/culture/film/a-flying-jatt-review|website=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
|2019
! scope="row" |''[[Housefull 4]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 October 2019|title=Housefull 4 Movie Review: The Akshay Kumar starrer HOUSEFULL 4 is a major disappointment and suffers on the account of poor writing and vacuous screenplay|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/housefull-4/critic-review/housefull-4-movie-review/|website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |2022
! scope="row" |''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 May 2022|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|title='Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' review: A spiritual and spirited sequel|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1023919/bhool-bhulaiyaa-2-review-a-spiritual-and-spirited-sequel|website=[[Scroll.in]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Thank God (film)|Thank God]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 October 2022|last=Paul|first=Iraa|title=Thank God writer Aakash Kaushik opens up on challenges he faced while writing film|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-thank-god-writer-aakash-kaushik-opens-up-on-challenges-he-faced-while-writing-film-exclusive-2994311|website=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
|2024
! scope="row" |''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 November 2024|last=Bohra|first=Anurag|title=Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 writer Aakash Kaushik says, 'one-liners are the heartbeat of every story'|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/bhool-bhulaiyaa-3-writer-aakash-kaushik-says-one-liner-is-the-heartbeat-of-every-story-101730794388824.html|website=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |2026
! scope="row" |''[[Bhooth Bangla]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Partial|Story}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 April 2026|title='Bhooth Bangla' trailer: Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar promise a nice blend of scare and laughs|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/bhooth-bangla-trailer-release-date-priyadarshan-akshay-kumar-horror-comedy-scare-and-laughs/article70829771.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-|{{Pending film|Udta Teer}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|Directorial debut<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 April 2026|title='Udta Teer': Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan Unite for Spy Comedy|url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/insight/udta-teer-ayushmann-khurrana-and-sara-ali-khan-unite-for-spy-comedy|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter India]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Accolades ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Award
! scope="col" |Category
! scope="col" |For
! scope="col" |Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{refh}}
|-
|2023
|[[68th Filmfare Awards|Filmfare Awards]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
|''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2]]''|{{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 April 2023|title=68th Filmfare Awards 2023: Check out the official nominations list|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/68th-filmfare-awards-2023-check-out-the-official-nominations-list/articleshow/99738170.cms|website=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
|2025
|[[70th Filmfare Awards|Filmfare Awards]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]]
|''[[Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3]]''|{{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 October 2025|title=Nominations for The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 With Gujarat Tourism: Full List Out|url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/nominations-for-the-70th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2025-with-gujarat-tourism-full-list-out-78037.html|website=[[Filmfare]]|access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb name|nm2022237}}

Aakash Kaushik

2026-06-17T07:33:39Z

BellaCH: Article created via ArticleWizard

{{Under construction}}

{{Infobox musician
| name = Aakash Kaushik
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Delhi]], India
| origin =
| genre =
| instrument =
| years_active =
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website =
}}

'''Aakash Kaushik''' (born {{birth_year}}) is a {{nationality}} musician.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Living people]]

H. G. S. Murthy

2026-06-17T05:34:04Z

BellaCH: Details

{{Short description|Indian space scientist}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2026}}

{{Infobox scientist
| name = H. G. S. Murthy
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| nationality = Indian
| fields =
| death_date = 18 July 1999
| institutions =
| alma_mater =
| known_for =
}}

'''Holenarasipura Govindrao Srinivasa Murthy''' was an [[IOFS]] officer and a space scientist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unmultimedia.org/s/photo/detail/129/0129975.html|title=Agreement Between Government of India and UN on Joint UN/UNESCO Panel Meeting|first=UN Photo/Michos|last=Tzovaras|date=October 11, 1977|website=www.unmultimedia.org}}</ref> He was known as one of the "Seven Pioneers of the Indian Space Programme".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/slidesowdev/flashback-indian-space-stalwarts-though-the-years/photostory/65501656.cms|title=Indian space stalwarts though the years|date=August 22, 2018|website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2015/jul/29/among-the-seven-pioneers-787617.html|title=Among the Seven Pioneers |first=Tiki |last=Rajwi |date=28 July 2015|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> He served at the [[Ordnance Factory Board|Machine Tool Prototype Factory (MTPF), Ambernath]], and as the first Director of the [[Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station |Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS)]], and the Space Science & Technology Centre, now known as the [[Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre]], of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation|Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2019/07/12/gone-too-soon.html|title=Gone too soon|website=The Week |first=Nirmal |last=Jovial |date=July 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Space India|date=2003|publisher=Indian Space Research Organisation|title=40 Years of Indian Space Program|url=https://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/flipping_book/53-SI-Oct-Dec-2003/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf|access-date=2 July 2021|archive-date=12 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812103929/https://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/flipping_book/53-SI-Oct-Dec-2003/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|last=Subbaraya|first=B.H.|title=Langmuir Probeof the Lower Equatorial Ionosphere at Thumba|url=https://www.prl.res.in/~library/Subbaraya_B%20H_1968_abst.pdf|date=July 1968|access-date=2 July 2021|archive-date=19 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319235225/http://www.prl.res.in/~library/Subbaraya_B%20H_1968_abst.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-7551-7_44|chapter=Space Programme in India|first=H. G. S.|last=Murthy|title=Space Engineering |series=Astrophysics and Space Science Library |editor-first=G. A.|editor-last=Partel|date=July 11, 1970|volume=15 |publisher=Springer Netherlands|pages=645–649|via=Springer Link|doi=10.1007/978-94-011-7551-7_44|isbn=978-94-011-7553-1 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/science-and-technology/isro-rising/article6811603.ece|title=ISRO rising|website=Frontline|date=23 January 2015 }}</ref> He was awarded [[Padma Shri]] in 1969 by the Government of India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/content/notifications/PadmaAwards/1968.pdf|title=The Gazette of India No. 221|date=26 January 1968|access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (Public Section) Padma Awards Directory (1954-2017)|url=https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/Year_Wise_main_25042017_0.pdf|access-date=November 12, 2022|publisher=India Ministry of Home Affairs}}</ref> He was PhD in [[Aerospace engineering]] from the [[University of Minnesota]]. He was also the Vice-President of the [[International Aeronautical Federation]] from 1970 to 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iafastro.org/about/governance/past-iaf-bureau.html |title=Past IAF Bureau |website=International Astronautical Federation|access-date=8 March 2026}}</ref> He interviewed and recruited [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]] into ISRO.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-i-m-proud-that-i-recommended-him-for-isro-ev-chitnis-2109096|title=I'm proud that I recommended him for ISRO: EV Chitnis|first=Ashwini|last=Pawar|date=July 29, 2015|website=DNA India}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murthy, H G S}}
[[Category:Indian Ordnance Factories Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian space scientists]]
[[Category:Indian scientists]]
[[Category:Space programme of India]]

{{India-scientist-stub}}