As the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led youth protests gained momentum across the country last month, an alleged ‘global toolkit’ behind the movement became the latest subject of ‘investigation’ for Republic Network.

The network’s identification of the alleged ‘mastermind’ behind this ‘toolkit’ kept shifting rapidly — from the usual suspect of Pakistan to China, Bangladesh, Nepal, the United States (US), and even 23-year-old Swedish climate and social activist Greta Thunberg. For days, the network devoted itself to attributing the protests, which demanded educational reform in India, to ‘foreign elements’.

On July 27, the editor-in-chief and face of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, in his primetime debate, claimed that Thunberg had taken full ownership of the protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.  

In this show, titled ‘CJP’s Foreign Hand Totally Exposed As Greta Thunberg Comes Out In Open’, Goswami launched into a tirade against Thunberg: “Who the hell are you to interfere in Indian democracy?” He followed it up with a barrage of questions: “What is your interest? What is your funding? Who are the people behind you?”

Thunberg’s solidarity to the CJP protest, expressed at an event organised by the Students Federation of India (SFI) in London on July 26, was presented by the Republic TV anchor as indisputable evidence of malicious foreign hands at play against the Indian government. He described it as proof of a ‘global toolkit’ operating behind the protests.

“The Indian student protest is making us all proud, and they give us hope. They show what we can accomplish when people come together and resist,” Thunberg had said at the gathering in London, calling for collective solidarity with the CJP movement, adding that demands for upholding democracy and liberation are universal concerns. 

Alt News’ examination of a series of Republic Network debates and programmes covering the CJP protests found a shifting web of allegations that repeatedly invoked India’s geopolitical rivals and foreign personalities to construct the narrative of an international conspiracy behind the movement.

July 21: ‘Copy-paste of Nepal Model’

In his July 21 debate, Goswami claimed that the Jantar Mantar stir was moulded by the same ‘toolkits’ behind the Shaheen Bagh and the Red Fort protests. He further alleged that Sonam Wangchuk, who held a hunger 26-day-long hunger strike in solidarity with the protesters, was receiving funds from ‘foreign groups‘.

At one point in the same show, he claimed that the Nepal Gen-Z-led protest of September, 2025 was also carried out by the US and was allegedly enabled by the widespread use of American messaging application Discord. “This [CJP protest] is an exact copy-paste implementation of the Nepal model,” he declared.

Goswami also alleges that China, being opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Grand Nicobar Project for vested economic interests, had instigated the protesters. He further demands answers from the Congress over their alleged ‘arrangements’ with China.

In another segment from Republic TV which aired on the same day, hosted by a different anchor, it was claimed that “Islamic radicals from Bangladesh” had come out in support of the CJP protest. Allegedly, the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami had publicly extended its unconditional support to the protesters in India.

Alt News fact-checked this claim and found that the purpoorted ‘letter’ being circulated as proof of Jamaat’s support for the CJP was fake and AI-generated.

July 22: ‘US-Deep State, Khalistani Connections

On July 22, Goswami claimed to have exposed CJP’s “deep state riots”. Using screengrabs of a list of “recommendations for US citizens” published by the US Embassy on July 17, he insinuates that the US had prior knowledge of the CJP protest and had a role in orchestrating the violence or clashes that erupted on July 20.

The notice from the US Embassy merely mentioned that large crowds were “expected to gather” in parts of central Delhi on July 20 and 21, anticipating demonstrations by students and farmers respectively.

Republic TV also claimed that the CJP protest had received support from “Khalistani” quarters. It was further alleged that the American application Bit Chat was used to “plan and execute attacks on police personnel”.

July 23: ‘Why are Americans at Jantar Mantar?’

In his July 23 debate, Goswami implored the youth to avoid being misled by the CJP protest. “Why are there so many foreigners coming down there, asking for the elected government of India to be brought down? Why are Americans being brought in, and being told to bring down the Modi government? Why is foreign money being brought in? Why is food being sent through large orders from places like Qatar?”

In another segment from the same day, a Republic TV anchor picked out visuals of a total of three foreigners who had posted videos from the Jantar Mantar protest site, questioning the alleged US-backed ‘deep-state’ connection to the Delhi protest.

July 24: ‘US Technology Aiding Protesters’

In a Republic TV segment that aired on July 24, Goswami reiterated the alleged role of American-developed BitChat application, along with Discord, in effectively enabling the regime change in Nepal in September 2025.

Goswami goes on to label former X (formerly ‘Twitter’) chief and BitChat founder Jack Dorsey as a “fake journalist carrying anti-Hindu sentiments”, indicating that such applications can destroy the nation’s unity by allowing protesters to communicate more effectively in spaces which have internet suspension. 

In the same segment, Goswami attacks the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) — an Indian digital rights advocacy organisation — of amplifying the same ‘toolkit’ for protesters. The protest safety guide released by IFF including protective measures for student protesters to avoid identification and harassment by the police, was presented by him as influencing “anti-social elements”.

In another Republic TV segment from the same day, the Bit Chat application was again held responsible for enabling “anti-national elements” to take over the student protest.

July 25: ‘Chinese Playbook & Communist Funding’

In a debate aired on Republic TV on July 25, Goswami portrayed the CJP protests as a failed coup orchestrated by foreign actors. He alleged that the movement drew from a “Chinese playbook” to sow distrust in the Indian military. He once again claimed that the movement was backed by the US Embassy and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Further in the show, he alleges that CPI(M) leaders in India had received funding from the communist state of China.

July 27: ‘Pakistani Angle’

The speculation over these purported “foreign sponsors and supporters” did not stop at nation states or intelligence agencies. In his July 27 debate, Goswami claimed to “expose Greta Thunberg as the leader of the global toolkit”.

In the same programme, he also sought to draw a “Pakistani angle” into the CJP protests. Goswami derided British Labour politician Jeremy Corbyn for expressing support for the CJP protesters on social media, variously describing him as a fanatic and the “Osama bin Laden of British politics”.

The tirade then turned to American actor John Cusack, a vocal political activist who had also expressed solidarity with the CJP protest in India by quoting an essay penned by Arundhati Roy. This prompted the anchor to urge his audiences to “connect the dots.” 

July 28: ‘The Meta-Greta Connection’

On the July 28 show, Goswami even dragged in Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta as a key player in the CJP protest, claiming that the platform was working against the interests of the people of India. 

He alleged that a video posted by Modi on Facebook had been removed in accordance with a legal request to Meta. This was an unverified allegation as Meta sources reportedly clarified that it was due to a temporary glitch in the AI-controlled moderation system. 

Once again implicating Thunberg’s involvement, he questioned: “Meta is pro-Greta Thunberg, and Greta Thunberg is behind the CJP. Can Zuckerberg deny it?” 

The ‘Global-Toolkit’ At Home

Momentarily departing from his hunt of foreign influences, in some of his shows, Goswami expressed his opposition against several domestic political and social actors as well. These included transgender activists, pro-Maoist groups, those he referred to as members of the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’ and even those who publicly advocated for the release of the incarcerated activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

Solidifying his “cocktail” of elements influencing the CJP protest after naming the aforementioned individuals and groups, Goswami stated “…now all you need is Rihanna and Michael Jackson re-incarnated to give a full twist to this movement. This, ladies and gentlemen, was a global toolkit.”

Even as other media outlets covered the extent of the student outrage, the police brutality, and the true spirit of a youth-led uprising which culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, over the course of a week, Republic Network simply presented an ever-expanding catalogue of alleged conspirators, seemingly in an attempt to warp the perception around a homegrown upheaval.

Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, the United States, the CIA, Meta, Greta Thunberg, Jeremy Corbyn, John Cusack and a host of domestic political actors were all, at different points, woven into the story of a supposed “global toolkit”. As the list of alleged foreign masterminds continued to grow, so did the distance between the network’s coverage and the actual issues that had brought tens of thousands of students onto the streets in India.