World India

She was harassed for crude remarks about Modi at a Cockroach protest. Now she can’t leave home

After a protest clip went viral, a teenager’s life was torn apart by threats that sent her and her family into hiding.

By The News Engine Desk Based on reporting by The Guardian

20 Oct 2026, 12:00 IST 1 min read 0 views

Image accompanying the story: She was harassed for crude remarks about Modi at a Cockroach protest. Now she can’t leave home — Image: Photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images · via The Guardian

The Guardian reports that after a protest clip went viral, a teenager’s life was torn apart by threats that sent her and her family into hiding.

Plus, a book on citizen journalism Before 24 July, a person I will call R was preoccupied with the ordinary routines of teenage life: experimenting with makeup, grumbling over mathematics homework and hanging out with friends at a tea stall.

This world story centres on India. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Modi, Cockroach and Jantar Mantar.

Why it matters

International developments of this kind are often followed closely by governments, aid organisations and global markets.

Key details

Location: India · Asia
Reported by: The Guardian
First reported: 20 Oct 2026, 12:00 IST
Key names: Modi, Cockroach, Jantar Mantar, Delhi
Section: World
Figure cited: That month, as the fever of student protests spread across the country, the 15-year-old watched on her phone as young people poured into Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in Delhi, demanding education reform. (The Guardian)