PM Modi's Instagram Reel Crosses 303 Million Views

Setting Global Record Amid CJP Protests

Report By Y-Trendz

New Delhi, July 25, 2026 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a new global digital record, with an Instagram reel he posted crossing over 303 million views within 24 hours — a milestone that arrives

even as his government grapples with one of the most sustained protest movements of his 12-year tenure, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

The reel, which was recorded as a late-night selfie video and posted shortly before midnight on Thursday, July 23, saw Modi address growing national anxiety over examination paper leaks and assure students that the government considered the matter "not an ordinary" issue. In the video, he announced that the Union Cabinet would consider a draft bill the following day providing for fast-track courts and stricter punishment for those found responsible for paper leaks, adding that "those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared." He said the government intended to have the legislation passed during the second week of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The reel went on to surpass the previous 24-hour viewing record of 300 million, which had been held by streamer IShowSpeed's video of his meeting with the band BTS at the FIFA World Cup. The Prime Minister's post also drew over 16 million likes and 1.5 million comments, and reportedly helped drive a surge of roughly one million new followers to his account overnight.

Following the record, Modi returned to social media with a brief follow-up message on Friday, thanking users for their response. "Thank you, friends. Yesterday night I got a chance to meet you. Thanks for the response to the video and for your positive suggestions. Thanks to everybody. Your affection will continue and our bond will deepen further," he said in the video.

The viral surge comes against the backdrop of continuing unrest at Jantar Mantar, where the CJP — a satirical online movement founded in May that has since grown into a national platform — has been leading protests demanding structural reforms to India's examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrations intensified after a march toward Parliament on July 20 was met with police tear gas and baton charges, and further escalated following the temporary hospitalisation of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had joined the protest on a hunger strike before ending it on July 24 following written government assurances.

Despite the scale of Modi's digital reach, the reaction from opposition leaders and protest organisers to his announcement was sharply critical. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dismissed the midnight video as an attempt to sidestep the central demand of the protesting students. "Mr. Modi, our students are demanding Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Don't insult their intelligence with this pathetic midnight video," Gandhi wrote on X, adding that the government should instead address the matter directly in Parliament. Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal similarly called the Prime Minister's assurances "hollow," questioning how fast-track courts would deliver justice given existing investigative failures in earlier paper-leak cases.

CJP representative Ashutosh Ranka was equally dismissive of the announcement, telling Modi on X to "remove Dharmendra Pradhan tomorrow," which he described as "the strictest action" the government could take. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reiterated that the protest would continue until Pradhan's resignation, regardless of the legislative measures proposed. Opposition parties also disrupted Parliament for a fourth consecutive day this week, holding placards and shouting slogans outside the building demanding the education minister's ouster, while BJP lawmakers staged a counter-demonstration calling for a formal discussion on the paper-leak issue.

The juxtaposition of Modi's unprecedented digital engagement with the unresolved street protests has become a talking point across Indian political commentary, with observers noting the contrast between the Prime Minister's ability to command a record-breaking online audience and his government's ongoing struggle to satisfy the core demands of the protesting students. As the standoff continues, both the government's proposed fast-track courts bill — expected to be tabled in Parliament on Monday, July 27 — and the future trajectory of the Jantar Mantar protests remain closely watched developments in what has become a defining test of the administration's response to youth-led dissent.