The Disinformation Battle Against CJP Is Still On: Old Videos and AI Fakes 

Even after the CJP protest ended, misinformation hasn’t. OBC debunks two viral claims—a recycled JNU video falsely linked to the protest and an AI-generated image used to malign women protesters—showing how old footage and synthetic visuals were weaponised to distort public perception.

Although the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) concluded its protest on 25 July, misleading narratives surrounding the movement continue to emerge online. As public attention remains focused on questions over the police crackdown and the use of force during the July 20 Parliament march, social media users continue to circulate claims targeting both the protesters and the student movement.

In this report, OBC examines two claims that were prevalent during the protest and also after its culmination.

What went viral, and how did we systematically verify it?

JNU students forced to join CJP protest?

On July 21, the X (formerly Twitter) account @Indian_Analyzer shared a video claiming that students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were being threatened by professors and forced to join the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest. The caption alleges that classrooms had been turned into ‘protest grounds’, with students reportedly pulled out of ongoing classes despite examinations and warned that those refusing to participate would be remembered. The text on the video reads, “JNU students receive threats from leftist professors to join the CJP protest.” The viral video depicts individuals who appear to be students stating that they were forced to leave their classes midway and join the protests.

As of July 29, the post had garnered 18,100 views, 1,100 likes and 794 reposts.

Responding to the post, a user remarked. “Universities like JNU have become hubs of leftists & Marxists who constantly speak against our country Bharat. Students are taught to hate India, push left ideology, support every religion except Hinduism, and openly disrespect Hindu Dharma.”

We found that the same video was also shared on Telegram by the channel Megh Updates, which repeated similar allegations, claiming that students were forcibly removed from classrooms to participate in the protest despite ongoing examinations and alleging that those refusing to join were being threatened.

We identified that an X account @OnRecordIndia initiated the claim on July 20.

We analysed the viral video and performed a reverse image search on its keyframes. The search led us to an interview published by The Lallantop on February 25, 2026, featuring the same students seen in the viral clip. In the interview, the students discussed an on-campus clash on February 23 between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and left-wing student organisations. They spoke about classroom disruptions caused by the clash and expressed concern over how recurring protests and violence were affecting JNU’s reputation.

According to the Hindustan Times report published on February 23, tensions erupted at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after clashes broke out between the Left-backed Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The confrontation reportedly occurred during a ‘Samta Juloos’ organised by the JNUSU, which was demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit following her alleged derogatory remarks on Dalits and the University Grants Commission (UGC) Equity Regulations and the revocation of a rustication order. Both student groups accused each other of instigating the violence, with Left-backed organisations alleging that ABVP activists attacked protesters. In contrast, the ABVP accused Left-affiliated groups of intimidating students, disrupting classrooms and provoking the confrontation.

The analysis clarifies that the viral video is old and unrelated to the CJP protest.

Befriending AI to target protesters

On July 24, X (formerly Twitter) user @VIKRAMPRATAPSIN shared an image purportedly showing a woman in revealing attire participating in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest. The accompanying caption read, “Protest or soft Porn ??? Decide for yourself. Do you want to send your kids here?”

As of July 29, the post had garnered 68,700 views, 1,500 likes and 488 reposts.

Responding to the post a user stated, “If we question a lady like her. She counter us asking does my clothing is more problematic than the current issue we protest,” while another user remarked, “Many failed people have come to this protest to increase their customer base. This one also has the same purpose, i believe. And she is advertising the goods too,” thereby putting the protester present in the CJP protest is bad light.

The same image was later shared by another verified X account, @AchAnkurArya, which alleged that the photograph depicted a left-wing protester while making derogatory remarks about women participating in such demonstrations.

As of July 29, the post had received 94,300 views, 2,800 likes and 534 reposts.

We analysed the viral image and discovered that it to be AI-generated.

Furthermore, we found that a viral screenshot of an Instagram post explicitly states that the image was fabricated and links it to an Instagram account ‘bellyjellies2.0’.

We noticed that the account is presently unavailable, but found another account ‘bellyjellies3.0’ which states that ‘bellyjellies2.0’ is temporarily restricted on Instagram.

This clarifies that the viral image is AI-generated.

OBC’s analysis reveals that both claims are misleading and rely on manipulated or falsely contextualised content. The viral video alleging that JNU students were forced to participate in the CJP protest predates the demonstration. Actually, it relates to a separate campus clash between the ABVP and Left-backed student organisations in February 2026. Similarly, the image purportedly showing a CJP protester in vulgar attire was found to be AI-generated and was circulated to portray the movement in a derogatory light.