During India's 2026 protests, from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) exam protests in July to the anti-Election Commissioner protests in October, YouTubers and Instagram creators without press accreditation became a main source of footage. Some of their videos were later confirmed over official denials, while one creator was arrested in October over an alleged AI-generated clip. Police have since issued press-ID guidance, and new IT Rules have tightened takedowns and AI labelling.
Key takeaways
- During India's 2026 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and anti-Election Commissioner protests, YouTubers and Instagram creators without press accreditation, such as The Red Mike, PEEK TV and Samdish Bhatia, became a main source of protest footage.
- On 5 October 2026 Delhi Police advised journalists covering protests to carry and display an organisation ID or a PIB or DIP accreditation card, after three women journalists alleged sexual harassment by police on 3 October.
- Delhi Police arrested Nadeem Ahmed, 24, from Palwal, Haryana, around 6 October 2026, saying a "CCTV" clip he posted of ACP Vivek Bhagat with a woman journalist was AI-generated; police have not described their technical test, and no FIR has been registered on the journalist's complaint against Bhagat.
- Delhi Police called reports of pellet guns and a video of a nail-studded baton at the 20 July 2026 protest "fake news", but a Rapid Action Force General Diary entry recorded pellet fire and BOOM verified the baton video was filmed at the protest.
- Fact-checkers found false content on both sides of the 2026 protests: Soch Fact Check found the claim that "seven protesters died" on 20 July false, and BOOM found old videos were shared as CJP scenes to push a pro-police narrative.
- Delhi Police said on 25 July 2026 that more than 400 "Pakistan-operated" handles were spreading deepfakes about the 20 July protest, but released no names or evidence.
- The IT Amendment Rules notified on 10 February 2026 require AI-generated content to carry traceable metadata and cut the takedown window from 36 hours to 3, and a draft published on 30 March 2026 would extend the media ethics code to creators' news content.
Background: why creators filled the gap
When the CJP's protests began, many young protesters distrusted mainstream TV, which they called "Godi media". Protesters heckled and in some cases assaulted reporters carrying channel-branded mics, while people using small collar mics were largely left alone. Reuters Institute
The Reuters Institute credits independent outlets and creators such as The Red Mike, PEEK TV and YouTuber Samdish Bhatia with filling the gap left by legacy TV. PEEK TV co-founder Priyanshi Sharma, a former NDTV anchor, said the movement was "always Instagram first". PEEK TV was named on a "wall of fame" poster at Jantar Mantar. Reuters Institute
Online reach did not always match turnout. The CJP's Instagram account had 22 million followers by early June, but only a few hundred people came to its first Jantar Mantar protest, according to the RSS-aligned Organiser. Organiser
Accreditation and the police advisory on press IDs
Most creators at the protests had no accreditation from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or the Delhi government's Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP). That became an issue in the October anti-CEC protests.
Documented On 5 October 2026 Delhi Police advised that journalists covering protests should carry an organisation ID or a PIB/DIP accreditation card and display it. They should keep a "reasonable and safe distance", stay clearly apart from protesters, and not obstruct police. The advisory came after three women journalists alleged sexual harassment by police on 3 October. Organiser
Delhi Police's position (9 Oct) "Persons posing as reporters" at demonstrations could cause disruption. Police posted on X: "Journalism has its role, journalism is not to be rolled." PTI/Deccan Herald
Police are also watching the social media of "content creators and independent journalists" ahead of the 10 October protest call. They have added officers to a fact-check desk and promised faster takedown notices for AI reels. ThePrint
Detentions of people carrying press IDs
Documented On 25 September YouTuber Mohammad Irfan, reporting for The Wire, was detained at Jantar Mantar while carrying a press ID, and his mic was broken. Frontline's Vedaant Lakhera was told to delete a photo. Police denied manhandling anyone. Newslaundry
The Press Club of India said on 26 September it was "shocked and deeply concerned", noted that both detained journalists wore press IDs, and demanded an apology. Siasat
On 2 October police asked digital journalist Mohd Ayan whether he had a "PIB card" and then pushed him into a bus. Independent journalist Harsh Yadav and Maktoob's Fida Fathima and Jibraan Uddin were also manhandled. The Quint says detentions fell mostly on "independent journalists and smaller YouTube creators". The Quint
Claim · Wire journalist Vipul Kumar Concerns also came from inside the press. Kumar said some people at the protest sites were doing activism or vigilantism rather than journalism, and that "the line was blurred". Reuters Institute
The Nadeem Ahmed AI clip arrest
The one fabrication case that has led to an arrest involves a creator. Police identify him as Nadeem Ahmed, 24, from Palwal, Haryana, who described himself as an independent journalist and YouTuber. Some outlets spell his name "Nadeen". The Week
Harassment complaints at Jantar Mantar
An independent woman journalist covering the anti-CEC protest alleged that ACP (Connaught Place) Vivek Bhagat groped and shoved her after she objected to women protesters being detained without women officers present. ThePrint
The "CCTV" clip appears
A clip labelled "CCTV footage", showing Bhagat beside the complainant, was posted on the page "News Aina" on Instagram and Facebook. Police say Ahmed started the page during the CJP protests. ThePrint
Arrest
Police say a "technical test" showed the clip was AI-generated and that surveillance led them to Ahmed. He was produced in a Delhi court and booked under BNS sections for rioting and forgery. ThePrint
Claim · Delhi Police Additional DCP Manjeet Sheoran said Ahmed confessed he made the video to malign the Delhi Police and stir unrest. Police told The Week: "His motive was to spread anarchy." Police are looking into his funding, associates and any link to the CJP. ThePrint The Week
Two points remain open. Police have not described how their technical test worked, and no independent analysis of the clip has been published. Separately, no FIR has been registered on the woman journalist's real complaint against Bhagat; ThePrint notes no proof of the incident has emerged either way. A fake clip does not settle her complaint. ThePrint
Fakes from both sides
Fact-checkers found false content pushing in both directions. Newschecker counted about 15 AI fakes during the CJP protests, alongside large amounts of recycled old footage. Newschecker
False content favouring the protesters
- False "Seven protesters died" in the 20 July clashes. The claim was spread by the account @zarb_e.zulfiqar and at least 28 other posts. Soch found the claim false. Soch Fact Check
- False AI deepfakes showed Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal ("hang cockroaches") and the Chief of Defence Staff threatening protesters, and a fake Delhi Police PRO statement circulated. Newschecker
- False A video of "CJP members catching a bribe-taking cop" was old and unrelated. Newschecker
- False · opposition MP Old footage, including a clip shared by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, was presented as a live anti-CEC protest at Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police debunked it on 26 September. The Quint
False content against the protesters
- False Old videos from a 2025 India Gate protest and a 2023 Gaza protest were passed off as CJP scenes to push a pro-police narrative. BOOM
- False A cropped "Islamic slogans" clip, a fake Jamaat-e-Islami letter, and a Vancouver concert shown as Jantar Mantar. Newschecker
- False A video of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar "seeking Dipke's extradition" was a deepfake. BOOM
- False A clip of creator Dhruv Rathee "exposing" the CJP was edited from an April video about Raghav Chadha. Newschecker
Claim · Delhi Police (25 July) More than 400 "Pakistan-operated" social media handles were spreading deepfakes about 20 July and had been identified. Police released no names or evidence. NewKerala
Where creator footage was right and the official line was wrong
On at least two points, footage shot by protesters and creators was later confirmed, after police had publicly called it fake.
Pellet guns
On 21 July Delhi Police posted a "fact-check" denying pellet guns were used and called reports "fake news". A Rapid Action Force General Diary entry later recorded plastic pellets fired on a DCP's order. Amnesty's Evidence Lab verified two videos of an RAF officer firing a shotgun into the crowd, and a 19-year-old student lost sight in one eye.
The nail-studded baton
On 21 July police called a video of a nail-studded baton "fake news" and said it was not filmed at the protest. BOOM verified from metadata and GPS that UPSC aspirant Upendra Gaur filmed it near Janpath Metro at the 20 July protest. BOOM could not establish who fitted the nails or whether police used the baton.
Sources: Alt News Al Jazeera BOOM
Creators also showed violence by protesters. The Red Mike's co-founder Saurabh Shukla said he debated whether to show stone-pelting on 20 July, and chose to show it. Police separately confirmed CCTV footage of stone-pelting at a petrol pump. Reuters Institute ANI
Instagram restrictions after the protests
Documented In the weeks after 20 July, Instagram posts and accounts tied to the protests were restricted in India. Meta's notices cited either a legal request or an "automated system" under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and the IT Rules. Users said they got no prior warning, no specific violation and no appeal option. Alt News
- The CJP's own page, with 26.5 million followers, was briefly unavailable in India on 22 July.
- CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had posts taken down or restricted.
- Maktoob Media had two videos blocked, and PEEK TV had an interview removed.
- Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, Scroll and The Hindu had posts restricted, several on pellet injuries.
- Arvind Kejriwal's account was briefly restricted on 6 August.
Creator Shrishti Khanna's political account, with about 104,000 followers, was blocked in India on 7 July by government order under Section 79(3)(b), without notice to her. She has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court. Alt News
Money and monetisation
Creators earn in different ways. The Red Mike earns mostly from YouTube advertising; Shukla's May interview with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke drew over a million views. PEEK TV earns mainly from brand partnerships, and its founders say brands that once avoided political content have since shown interest. Reuters Institute
Samdish Bhatia's video documenting police action on 20 July has more than 6 million views, and viewers have sent small payments through comments to support the channel. Reuters Institute
Claim · online commenters Some comments claimed the CJP paid creators for coverage; PEEK TV's Sharma said she had read such comments. No evidence has been published of any such payment. No reporting has measured fabrication driven by engagement among named creators. Reuters Institute
The IT Rules changes
Documented The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 were notified on 10 February 2026, before the protests. They define "synthetically generated information" (AI content), require it to carry "permanent, traceable metadata", and cut the takedown window after "actual knowledge" from 36 hours to 3. Digital Defenders Network (SFLC.in) A MeitY circular on 6 August restated the 3-hour window. Alt News
A draft Second Amendment, published on 30 March 2026, would extend the Digital Media Ethics Code to "news and current affairs content" from "users who are not publishers", which would cover creators. It would also let an inter-departmental committee act on its own without a user complaint. It remains a draft. Digital Defenders Network
Claim · Abeer Srivastava, writing for SFLC.in's network The changes risk turning the online public square into "a highly sanitized, state-monitored broadcast network devoid of democratic dissent". Government's position Delhi Police have expanded their fact-check desk and promised faster takedown notices for AI reels before the 10 October protest. Digital Defenders Network ThePrint
Outcome so far
- Arrests: One creator, Nadeem Ahmed, arrested over an alleged AI clip; the case rests on police claims.
- Rules: Police press-ID advisory issued on 5 October; IT Rules in force since February; a draft covering creators is pending.
- Courts: Shrishti Khanna's challenge to her account block is in the Delhi High Court.
- Unresolved: No FIR on the woman journalist's complaint against ACP Bhagat; no evidence released for the 400 "Pakistan-operated" handles.
Questions people ask
Do YouTubers need press accreditation to cover protests in India?
No law requires it, but Delhi Police's 5 October 2026 advisory asks journalists covering protests to carry an organisation ID or PIB/DIP card. Creators without one have been questioned and detained.
Who is Nadeem Ahmed and why was he arrested?
Police say he is a 24-year-old self-described journalist from Palwal who made an AI "CCTV" clip of an ACP groping a woman journalist. He was arrested around 6 October on rioting and forgery charges. The underlying harassment complaint has not been investigated.
Was the nail-studded baton video fake?
No. BOOM verified it was filmed at the 20 July protest by a UPSC aspirant. It could not establish who fitted the nails or whether police used the baton.
Did seven protesters die on 20 July?
No. Soch Fact Check found the claim false; it was spread by at least 29 posts.
Were creators paid by the CJP?
There is no evidence. The claim appears in online comments only; creators earn from YouTube ads, brand deals and viewer payments.
What changed in the IT Rules in 2026?
From 10 February, AI-generated content must be labelled with traceable metadata, and platforms must remove flagged unlawful content within 3 hours instead of 36. A March draft would extend the media ethics code to creators' news content.
Sources
- Reuters Institute: The cockroaches' reckoning (Karen Rebelo), 17 Aug 2026
- Organiser: 22 million followers, a few hundred on ground, 7 Jun 2026
- Organiser: Delhi Police issues protest coverage advisory, 6 Oct 2026
- Deccan Herald/PTI: "Journalism has its role, should not be rolled", 9 Oct 2026
- ThePrint: Delhi Police on eve of Jantar Mantar 2.0, Oct 2026
- Newslaundry: Journalists detained, microphone snatched, 25 Sep 2026
- Siasat: Press Club demands apology, 26 Sep 2026
- The Quint: "See my press card", Oct 2026
- ThePrint: Police claim CCTV footage of ACP is AI-generated, 6 Oct 2026
- The Week: Video AI-generated by 24-year-old suspect, 6 Oct 2026
- Newschecker: Anatomy of an information battle, 2026
- Soch Fact Check: Posts falsely claim seven protesters died, Jul 2026
- Newschecker: Old bribe video falsely linked to CJP, 2026
- The Quint: Old video falsely linked to anti-CEC protests, Sep 2026
- BOOM: Old videos shared to push pro-police narrative, Jul 2026
- BOOM: Jaishankar video is a deepfake, 2026
- Newschecker: Edited Dhruv Rathee video, 2026
- NewKerala: Over 400 Pak-operated handles identified, 25 Jul 2026
- Alt News: Police records confirm pellet guns were used, 2026
- Al Jazeera: What the Amnesty report reveals, 24 Aug 2026
- BOOM: Batons with nails, police call real video fake, 22 Jul 2026
- ANI: Police confirm targeting of personnel on 20 July, 23 Jul 2026
- Alt News: Government orders trigger sweeping Instagram censorship, 12 Aug 2026
- Digital Defenders Network (SFLC.in): The regulatory pincer choking digital expression, 2026