EXCLUSIVE : I do not trust the Supreme Court to uphold democracy, says Dhruv Rathee

Dhruv Rathee has made a career of asking uncomfortable questions to those in power. But on the streets of New Delhi, as the Dilli Chalo protest unfolds and police detain demonstrators, the YouTuber who commands millions of viewers appears visibly shaken. Dressed in a blue T-shirt, khaki trousers and sports shoes, he looks less like a political firebrand than someone confronting the consequences of the politics he discusses on screen.

Wary of being followed, Rathee agrees to meet THE WEEK at an undisclosed location. He is accompanied by a handful of trusted friends and is careful to ensure that his family is not disturbed. His guarded demeanour is understandable. For someone whose work routinely challenges those in authority, being at the centre of a political mobilisation brings its own risks.

Away from the camera, Rathee is more forthcoming. His YouTube operation, he explains, is not a sprawling enterprise but a largely freelancer-driven effort, with much of his own time devoted to researching the subjects that eventually become videos. An alumnus of Heritage School in Haryana, the 32-year-old went on to study in Germany before becoming one of India’s most recognisable political commentators online.

In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Rathee discusses the state of India’s democratic institutions, the Election Commission’s credibility, the Supreme Court’s handling of electoral controversies and the role of the Cockroach Janta Party. He believes the anger driving the movement extends beyond Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leaders such as US President Donald Trump, whose policies he sees as serving powerful interests at the expense of ordinary people.

Rathee believes the CJP can channel public anger into meaningful change, provided it remains independent of political parties and honest with its supporters. But he is equally clear that a movement cannot depend on a charismatic leader to deliver the transformation it seeks. As the protests gather momentum, he wants young Indians to stop waiting for someone else to fix the country. “You do not need a hero,” he says. “You need to become one.”

As he prepares to return to Germany, Rathee insists that he will come back to India. For now, his appeal is directed at those who remain: the responsibility for change, he argues, belongs to the people themselves.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

You have always communicated with Indians through social media. How was your reception in Bengaluru?

It was overwhelming. I had never participated in a protest before or addressed a crowd from a stage. It was my first time doing both. It was crazy to see the reaction of the people and how enthusiastic they were about me and our cause.

Just before the call to protest on October 10, many people were detained. Do you think this was a violation of fundamental rights?

Of course. They detained everyone. That is why everyone called it an unofficial Emergency. When a call is given for a protest and you detain every single leader, every prominent person and more than 7,000 people who are going to protest, it goes against our fundamental rights.

The government has now withdrawn Jantar Mantar’s status as a protest site and offered three alternative locations far from Lutyens’ Delhi.

In most developed and democratic countries, the protest zone is usually very close to parliament. Jantar Mantar was already a relocation from India Gate, and now they have given protesters a ground that is about 13 kilometres away. Which other country has a designated protest zone this far from the centre of the capital? Pakistan. So, Narendra Modi is following Pakistan’s path and degrading our country to the same level as Pakistan today.

 You have been following the Cockroach Janta Party and speaking to its members quite often. How do you see its future?

They are a very good pressure group and they do not want to become a political party. I also think they are a very impactful pressure group because there is a lot of anger and frustration among people over all these issues, such as paper leaks, E20 petrol and now vote chori (theft). They have done a very good job of channelising that frustration and anger.

You have been criticising the government on various issues, not just vote chori. Do you think the Congress is an alternative to the present government?

I criticise the government because I want my country to grow and succeed. I feel that, just as Gandhi ji used non-violent methods of satyagraha to remove the British Raj, the same methods can be used to bring about positive change in the country and make it more advanced and developed.

Social media today is often about connecting with friends and others. What does being an influencer mean to you? Who has influenced you?

Many, many people have influenced me. I am quite influenced by our freedom fighters, such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. All these people have inspired me. I have read many of their books and I use them as my guiding light.

Do you think the CJP should collaborate with political parties to strengthen its position?

I think they should collaborate with political parties on an issue-by-issue basis. The collaboration should not be unconditional or permanent. It should be based on specific issues and remain dynamic as time goes on. In the future, even if a Congress government comes to power, I think the CJP can continue to be a good pressure group, pressing the government to make laws and take decisions that are in the people’s interest.

You speak to a variety of people while making your videos and conducting research. What have you learnt about India’s standing in the outside world?

India used to be seen as the land of Gandhi and spirituality. To some extent, it still is, but earlier it had a much stronger spiritual vibe. Now, because of whatever the government is doing, I feel India’s reputation in the eyes of the world is declining.

In several of your videos, you have described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an autocrat.

Nobody expected that every single institution, such as the Election Commission, could be compromised, or MLAs could be bought. We need to see how we can adapt our institutions and make them stronger so that such things never happen again.

The Congress has been raising the issue of vote chori since 2024. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several other leaders have also approached the Supreme Court. Is the Congress genuinely trying to make a comeback, or is it just a show?

It is not a show. There is definitely something legitimate there. The election commissioners were chosen under a system in which Narendra Modi and Amit Shah had a two-to-one voting advantage over the leader of the opposition. So, I think it is very important that the next chief election commissioner is chosen in a neutral and unbiased manner. One of the proposals I have discussed before is that the leader of the opposition and the prime minister could each nominate an eminent personality whom they consider suitable. Those two nominees could then jointly choose the person they think is deserving of the post. This way, we can have a neutral and unbiased CEC in the future and hopefully ensure greater democracy and fair elections.

The CJP and several others, including the Congress, are determined to secure the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Do you think that will happen?

I do see it happening. It has to be done.

What are your expectations of the Supreme Court?

Not much. The proof relating to vote chori was presented nearly a year ago. There were issues during the Bihar elections and the West Bengal elections. What the Supreme Court should have done was not to allow the West Bengal elections to take place until the voter list was clear.

But the court’s position was, ‘There are several lakh voters whose names are under contention. We do not know whether they are genuine voters or fraudulent entries. But the election time has come, so let us leave it at that and allow the elections to happen.’ Any fair-minded or logical person can tell you that the Supreme Court should have postponed the elections until the list was finalised. But it did not do that. The inaction and decisions of the Supreme Court show that it is not doing a good job here. That is why I do not trust it to uphold democracy in our country.

But if you do not trust the Supreme Court, whom do you trust?

The people. The people have the power in a democracy.

Do you think change has begun?

It is going to come from the people, yes. And it has started coming.

We have seen the India Against Corruption movement in the past. How would you distinguish the CJP movement from that one?

There are many similarities, of course. The India Against Corruption movement was alleged to have been backed by the RSS. But the core reasoning behind the movement was genuine. I became interested in politics only because of that movement. Before that, I did not know anything about politics. I feel the same could be true of the CJP movement. It might awaken a lot of people, make them aware of what is happening in our country and make them more interested in the day-to-day affairs of our government and politics.

But I do not think the CJP will go on to become a political party, like the Aam Aadmi Party emerged from the India Against Corruption movement. Another similarity is that the BJP took advantage of that movement and came to power. The Congress could technically do the same and come to power, but somehow it thinks the movement is against it or something. The movement is genuine.

Both movements are genuine. But there are always some people who take advantage of an issue for their own personal reasons. This might happen here, too. But that does not mean the reasoning behind these movements and the issues they raise are not genuine.

You have been in close contact with CJP leaders. How do you assess them?

I think we are all very passionate about these issues. But we are a bit inexperienced. I would just like to ask people to excuse us if we make mistakes along the way. We do not have 20 years of experience in organising protests or fighting elections. But we are all trying our best.

What is the one advice you would give the CJP to ensure that it does not fall into any trap? It has chosen a delicate path, and we are seeing pressure from the government, with people being detained almost every day.

I have already told them many things, but one major point would be to remain honest and sincere with the people. Whatever happens, just tell them about it honestly and sincerely. They are already enthusiastic about supporting the movement, and they will continue doing so. Just try to keep Gandhi ji in mind.

You are passionate about the issues facing India. Do you plan to return to India any time soon?

Of course. Why not? It is my country. I am a citizen.

But are you comfortable returning in the present circumstances?

The only reason I did not come to India for a while was that I had a baby, and he was very young. Now he is almost two years old, so I feel he is old enough for my wife to take care of him alone. Earlier, I needed to be there to support my baby because we do not have large joint families there. Now I feel he is old enough.

Would you want your child to face a situation like the one you experienced a few days ago?

Of course not. Who would want their children to face that? But he is very young. We will talk about that when he is 18 or so.

How do you look at the police beating up YouTubers and independent journalists covering the protests?

It is a sign that the country is moving more and more towards dictatorship. These kinds of things do not happen in a democratic country. Right-wing people might show videos from America or Germany where the police are also beating protesters. But the circumstances are completely different. Here, the police are kidnapping people from their homes. That does not happen in any other democratic country without any crime having been committed. I have no cases against me and no FIRs against me, yet the police came into my bedroom and took me away. This does not happen in any democratic country.

What advice would you give aspiring YouTubers? You put a lot of effort into researching your videos. How can they remain consistent and relevant?

In the context of these protests, I would just advise them to remain united because our strength lies in our unity. Continue courageously what you are doing.

Do you plan to take up issues beyond India, such as those involving the US and Donald Trump?

Of course. My YouTube videos are often about world politics, too. I sincerely believe that people like Narendra Modi, Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil are destroying the world for their own benefit, ego and pursuit of power. Young people across the world must stand against them. My message is not just for Indians, but also for Americans, Brazilians and people everywhere who are dealing with leaders like these.

How would you rate Donald Trump as a president?

He is the worst thing that has happened to the world. The worst thing. Many right-wing people are now saying he is such a bad leader simply because he is pressuring Modi to do what he wants, and relations have soured. But I have been saying it for a long time.

Because of him, the climate change movement is suffering. The biggest issue facing the world today is climate change and global warming, and we were moving in the right direction. But he withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement and has undermined many renewable energy projects in America. He is destroying national parks, just as Adani is doing in India by cutting down forests and so on. Trump is doing the same to national parks in America while promoting coal energy. It is ridiculous. He is even weakening air pollution laws so much that Americans may no longer be able to get clean air. They all have the same agenda. Trump, Bolsonaro and leaders like them. Just as Adani is to Modi, Elon Musk is to Trump. They care only about their own profits, tie up with oligarchs and leave the people to suffer in the end.

Do you receive threats or defamation notices?

It keeps happening. It is part of the process. But when I go out on the streets, I have never encountered an ordinary person who hates me. Even yesterday, we were walking around Connaught Place and Rajghat, everyone was thankful, and I am glad to see that people support the issues I stand for.

What is the  message  you want to share with Gen Z?

Just be proactive about whatever you believe in. Keep raising your voice. I feel that a lot of Gen Z people have a sense of apathy. I do not know if that is the right word for it. They feel that their voices do not matter. They think, ‘I am a middle-class person. Poor people keep getting free rations and stuff, while the rich keep getting benefits. I am stuck in the middle. I get neither good footpaths nor clean air, and my vote does not carry any meaning.’

Just get out of this mindset. Raise your voice and spread awareness about these issues in your locality and neighbourhood. Then see how quickly things can change.

People are always waiting for a hero to come from above. They are waiting for Superman to come and rescue them. Do not wait for a hero. There will be no hero. This is not a film. People think I am some kind of hero who will come and change the country, or that Neha Bora or Abhijit [Dipke] is a hero who will bring about change. But you are the hero. You have to bring about this change yourselves.

Start in your neighbourhood. Start uniting people, and remember what Dr Ambedkar said: ‘Educate, agitate and organise.’ Educate the people around you. Agitate on the issues you care about. Then organise yourselves into groups and unions, and come out and protest on the streets about whatever issues matter to you.

Improve the country. This is how the country will grow.