Why are students chanting "vote chori" at a paper leak protest? | Shoaib Daniyal explains

The students in Jantar Mantar are protesting paper leaks, right? So then why is there vote-churi graffiti, Godi media graffiti at the site? Seems paradoxical, but it might not be. Let me explain. The protesters are angered by corruption, but the protests themselves have been forced by democratic decline. India today offers no pressure valves for public anger to dissipate. Street protests are the only way to make the government listen. Take the media. It's supposed to expose government wrongdoing. But in India, big media houses openly act as mouthpieces of the government. So that pressure valve is shut. The judiciary is also supposed to check the government. But in the Modi era, the courts have almost always backed the BJP. The fact that this anti-government protest started with outrage against the Chief Justice calling unemployed Indians cockroaches is telling. For the protesters there is now little difference between the courts and the executive Most troubling however is that so many protesters seem to believe elections in India are not free and fair anymore The allegations are not new. For years now, researchers, journalists and opposition politicians have pointed to serious issues in how India's elections are conducted. Matters peaked in Bengal when millions of voters were arbitrarily removed from the voter list. Even worse, the BJP has aggressively tried to destroy opposition parties. In Bengal, the Trinamool has been completely gutted with defections. The BJP controls nearly the entire assembly. In more normal times, Indians angry with the BJP would try and vote it out of power. But now many believe that might simply not be possible. No media, no courts and no elections. The only way for Indians to now show anger against the government? Protest. Remember, we've already had two massive protests before this. The anti-sea agitation and the farmers' protest. And since it's unlikely that Mr Modi will change his autocratic style anytime soon, India might have to brace for many street agitations in the years to come.