The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP; lit.'Cockroach People's Party') was founded on 16 May 2026 by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and activist. The CJP harnessed widespread political and economic discontent among Generation Z in India, leading to protests in Delhi and other cities in the following months.
The "party" was created in response to remarks made on 15 May 2026 by Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India, in which he referred to certain activists and unemployed youth as "cockroaches" and "parasites of society". Kant later said he was referring specifically to people who obtain fraudulent degrees, but his remarks nonetheless triggered broad criticism that India's economic and political landscape had become hostile to young people. The movement's name is a wordplay parodying the current ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The party achieved significant popularity online, rapidly gaining a large following across social media platforms shortly after its formation. It issued a five-point manifesto relating to the conduct of parliament members and of election commissioners, reservation of seats for women in politics, and media licensing. Beginning in June, the party led protests in Delhi and across the country over the fallout from irregularities in that year's entrance examinations for undergraduate biomedical studies. The protests culminated in talks with the central government and the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the Indian Minister of Education, on 25July 2026. The education minister's resignation was considered a major victory for the cockroach movement.
Alongside its online presence, the movement organises protests and community service activities across India. The movement campaigns on broader societal, economic, and political issues affecting India. It is not registered as a political party with the Election Commission of India.
While reprimanding the petitioner's lawyer for unprofessional conduct regarding the language used on social media and the use of frivolous litigation targeting the judiciary system, the CJI drew parallels to unemployed individuals who turn to social and mass media, along with public activism, to attack government institutions. His comparison of such individuals to "cockroaches" and "parasites" drew widespread backlash.
There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches; they don't get any employment, and they don't have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone... And you people file contempt petitions.
The CJI later issued a clarification stating that his remarks had been misquoted and that he was specifically criticising individuals who had entered "legal, media, social media, and other noble professions" using fake degrees, and added that he held India's youth in high regard. Despite the clarification, the controversial "cockroach" label stuck with youth commentators.
Formation and public outreach
Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist, launched the "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) online on 16 May 2026 as a form of political satire targeting the political establishment. The party's name refers to remarks by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and parodies the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The name "Cockroach Janta Party" roughly translates to "Cockroach People's Party", echoing the BJP's name, which translates to "Indian People's Party". The party's website used the tagline "Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed" and described itself as a "platform for all the 'cockroaches' out there".
Dipke said that the CJP is not affiliated with any political organisation and intends to serve as a platform for young Indians who feel left out of mainstream politics, although he has welcomed support of organisations across the political spectrum on occasions of protests, including from left-wing student organisations like AISF and AIYF, the chief of right-wing Hindutva organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and political organisations, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena and Communist Party of India (Marxist), among others.
The CJP created a mock political platform that rapidly gained traction across social media.
Social media
Dipke used artificial intelligence tools to design the website and manifesto, and to generate images to promote the movement. Within days of its launch, the movement gained a massive social media following, rapidly overtaking the official Instagram handles of the major political parties in India. By the end of its first week, the movement had crossed 15 million followers on Instagram.
The Cockroach Janta Party's official X account was withheld in India on 21 May 2026. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered the restriction under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Within minutes of being taken down on X, the party returned with a new handle titled "Cockroach is Back". On 7 July 2026, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of Dipke for unblocking of the account as it considered the "potential to cause chaos" in the country minimised following the successful conduction of resits of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET). The official reason had remained confidential until the case due to IT Rules, 2009.
Trademark and ownership
The name "Cockroach Janta Party" has become the subject of a trademark dispute, with at least three applications filed to register it, including applications by individuals and by a proprietorship named Dipke's Cockroach Janta Party.
Structure
Leadership and spokespeople
Before founding the CJP, Dipke volunteered with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party, from 2020 to 2023. During this period, he produced meme-based content aimed at young voters in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election and advised the Delhi government's education department on communications. Originally from a MaharDalit family in Chhatapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, he has graduated in communications from Boston University and returned to India in June 2026. Dipke has cited the writings of B. R. Ambedkar as a major influence.
The CJP initially appointed three spokespersons - Vijeta Dahiya, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka. They later dismissed Vijeta Dahiya and relieved him of all official responsibilities after a video of him eating at a fast-food outlet during the party's Parliament march drew criticism. The party later inducted four new spokespersons to their team - Vaishnavi Gaur, Aafreen Nawaz, Deepak Baliyan, and Ratna Singh.
On 6 August 2026, Abhijeet Dipke was elected as the National Convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), following a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
The National Working Committee is the central organisational body of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The committee was announced in August 2026 as part of the organisation's efforts to establish a national leadership structure and coordinate its campaigns and activities across India. Its office-bearers were assigned responsibilities covering organisation, media, legal affairs, research and policy, technology, finance and regional coordination.
Members
The following table lists the committee's publicly reported office-bearers and their responsibilities as announced in August 2026.
The CJP describes itself as "a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth: secular, socialist, democratic, and lazy." Dipke has stated that the campaign is not interested in becoming a traditional political party and has no desire to induct established politicians, noting that "Gen Z wouldn't like it if current politicians joined the CJP." However, the party inducted mainstream politicians from other parties within days of its formation.
According to Dipke, the movement seeks greater transparency and accountability in government spending, explicitly criticising non-transparent initiatives. The core mission is to provide a platform for young people marginalised by labels such as "lazy" or "cockroaches", using satire as a political tool.
The party released a formal five-point manifesto in May 2026:
No Chief Justice shall be granted a Rajya Sabha seat as a post-retirement reward.
Women shall receive 50% reservation (instead of 33%) without increasing the strength of Parliament; 50% of all Cabinet positions shall be reserved for women.
All media houses owned by the Adani Group and Reliance Industries ("Ambani") shall have their licences cancelled to make way for independent media. Bank accounts of "Godi media anchors" shall be investigated.
Additional points suggested by activist Anjali Bhardwaj and accepted by the party include ensuring the CJP remains answerable under the RTI Act and refusing to accept any anonymous donations.
Membership
The eligibility criteria for joining the CJP are deliberately satirical:
Unemployed ("by force, by choice, or by principle")
Chronically online ("at least 11 hours daily, including bathroom breaks")
Ability to rant professionally ("content must be sharp, honest, and point at something that matters")
The party states that religion, caste, and gender are not considered in the membership process.
Reception
The movement has attracted endorsements from opposition leaders and public figures, including Congress politicians in Karnataka, while also facing criticism and pushback, such as the withholding of its X account in India. Some observers have drawn parallels to the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, describing it as a significant outlet for youth anger over corruption and dysfunction in the system, although critics have questioned whether its rapid rise can be sustained. Commenters and analysts have noted the impact of youth pro-activeness in political discussions and reach of digital media in relation to CJP's movement, and posed speculation on broader impact on governance and journalism.
Support
Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan also supported the movement and has spoken about the issues raised by CJP, urging the use of its platforms to demand accountability, and to call for a "right to employment" law providing jobs or unemployment allowances for citizens between 21 and 60 years of age. Social activist Anna Hazare also expressed support for young people backing the Cockroach Janata Party, stating that the government should encourage such youth participation rather than ignore it. Social activist Anjali Bhardwaj and human rights advocate Saad Kassis-Mohamed also expressed support for the movement.
Among the political figures expressing support to CJP were Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who called the movement an excellent outlet for youth frustration, and Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, whose full support was announced by party leader Derek O'Brien. The movement was also supported by several actors, filmmakers, and digital media personalities, who voiced their support online, prompting followers to post under the hashtag #MainBhiCockroach (transl.'I too am a cockroach').
Social media users initially remained divided; some labelled the CJP as "mere meme politics", while others praised it for addressing the frustrations of the youth. Following the CJP's transition to physical protests, commentators drew parallels to the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest. Critics questioned the long-term impact of the movement, noting that developing a coherent ideological vision that connects consistently with voters remains a significant challenge and have also raised concern about sustainability of the movement itself beyond its initial period of attention.
Some commentators have also noted similarity between CJP's activities and Aam Admi Party's, and also criticised several of its core members having been affiliated with AAP in the past. Former volunteer activist, Manish Brahmbhatt launched 'Cockroach Janata Party-Democratic (CJP(D))', after he accused CJP of abandoning its student-led origins and for aligning too closely with the Aam Aadmi Party. Questions about the CJP's political neutrality resurfaced following its activities in the states governed by different parties, with Congress leader Sachin Pilot alleging CJP applied its 'School Theek Karo' campagin inconsistently to favour AAP-ruled states, which CJP has denied.
Without explicitly naming the CJP, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised those seeking social-media followers from Pakistan and what he called the "George Soros gang". Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that 49% of the CJP's followers were from Pakistan and only 9% were from India. In response, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a screen recording of the account's audience analytics, which showed that more than 94% of its audience was in India. A subsequent analysis by Decode Internet also questioned claims used to discredit the party, including allegations about its followers. Dipke also said that he had received death threats through WhatsApp from anonymous telephone numbers.
On 18 October 2026, Rijiju further alleged that opposition politicians and what he described as "anti-India gangs" had conspired to incite violence in India similar to the unrest in Bangladesh and the riots in France. He said that a change of government in India could take place through elections, "not through Soros".
In July 2026, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to a question about alleged foreign funding for the protests, said, "I have no information to share on this issue with you." On 24 July, the Delhi High Court declined to entertain a petition seeking an investigation by the National Investigation Agency into allegations of foreign funding linked to a CJP-led march to Parliament. Two days later, the MEA described as misleading a viral social-media post claiming that Jaiswal had confirmed there was no foreign funding, clarifying that his actual response had only stated that he had no information to share at the time. In October 2026, American singer Mary Millben also alleged that US-based donors were funding the CJP, although the report did not independently establish the allegation.
In May 2026, a petition filed in the Supreme Court sought for the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the party's activities, as well as into fake advocates and fraudulent law degrees. In the same month, a criminal public interest litigation petition was filed by a BJP worker in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. The petition alleged "anti-national activities" and sought an investigation by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate, as well as the suspension of the party's social media accounts. Both the petitions were dismissed by the courts.
In response to the misinformation, Dipke stated that political interests were attempting to "defame, demean and discredit the movement... because they have this paranoia that the Indian Gen Z will get on the streets someday." He suggested the pushback was an effort to distract from India's high unemployment rate and fear-monger about protests similar to those seen in Nepal or in Bangladesh.
Government
On 14 August 2026, the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government's Collegiate Education Department issued an order directing school education, higher education, police, and district administration to prevent students from participating in protests by the Left parties and the CJP. The order was later withdrawn by the government on 19 August 2026 upon receiving criticism.
Activities
Following its online rise, the movement began offline mobilisation through organised community service, including clean-up drives with volunteers dressed in cockroach costumes, before eventually expanding its scope to organising protests. The movement has also focused on demanding better education infrastructure of government schools.
Students protesting at the 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar ProtestsTens of thousands of students were present at the demonstration in Delhi.
In June 2026, the CJP began organising a series of protests expressing concerns regarding the transparency, accountability, and technical failures on the administration of competitive examinations. The party called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leaks of national entrance examination (NEET) materials and the 2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy. Dipke released an "Education/Exam Manifesto" calling for reforms to stop question paper leaks and reduce delays in declaration of results. Pradhan responded by accusing the CJP of undermining democratic processes, while promising to crack down on the "paper mafia".
After their demands were unmet, the CJP began an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi starting on 20June. When Dipke extended the demonstration beyond the allowed timings, the authorities declared it as illegal. While Delhi Police initially tried to disperse the crowd, they later withdrew. On 28June, activist Sonam Wangchuk initiated a hunger strike alongside a few students from the All India Students' Association, in solidarity with the protests. On 18July, on the orders of the Delhi High Court, Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site by police and taken to Safdarjung Hospital, before being shifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram citing safety concerns.
Dipke and other organisers commenced their own indefinite hunger strikes in protest of his removal. However, Dipke ended his indefinite hunger strike on 20July following an appeal from the father of a deceased student and announced a march on Parliament.Dipke also called the Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan to join the protest at Jantar-Mantar, and also stated "I don't understand why is it such a big problem to sack one education minister?".
As protestors attempted to march towards the Parliament of India later that day despite receiving prohibitory orders against it, Delhi Police used baton charge and fired tear gas shells to manage the crowds after the protestors broke the barricade and assaulted the police personnel despite being repeatedly asked not to cross the barricades. The march is reported to have drawn 10,000–50,000 protestors with at least 178 people injured according to the Delhi police, including 60 protestors and 118 security personnel, and 70 protestors being detained. Police accounts reported demonstrators resorting to violence, including throwing stones and damage to property which the CJP denied and stated otherwise. The incident drew criticism from opposition leaders and human-rights organisations over allegations that police used excessive force against protesters. A PIL alleging excessive force by the Delhi police filed in Delhi High court is listed for hearing on 11September. CJP called for peaceful protest against police brutality on 24July.
On 24 July, Wangchuk announced the breaking of his 26-day hunger strike, after prolonged negotiations with the government, that he had done so under various conditions (including withdrawal of cases against non-violent protestors and compensation for students that committed suicide in the aftermath of the NEET examination paper leaks) and "in view of possible violence in the country". On the same date, union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh attended a meeting with CJP to hear their demands and sought time regarding the resignation of Pradhan.
Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25July. Many protesters considered the development a major victory for the movement, and further protests were halted. On 26 July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a task force headed by technology entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to reform India's public examination system. On 27 July, the government presented a bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The bill, presented by union minister Jitendra Singh Rana, sought to increase the punishment under Section 10 of the act from 5 years imprisonment and fine up to 1million rupees to 10 years imprisonment and fine up to 100million rupees for businesses and 5million rupees for individuals.
The West Bengal STF is investigating an alleged Pakistan linked Jaish-e-Mohammed plot to disrupt protest at Jantar Mantar. The probe concerns allegations of plans to procure police uniforms, incite unrest during the demonstration, and maintain contact with Pakistan based handlers. Punjab Police also reported and busted a ISI-linked terror plot, aimed at carrying out terror attack in student protest at Jantar-Mantar, New Delhi. The police apprehended 9 accused including 4 juveniles, and one confessed to being in contact with an ISI-handler based in Pakistan. Punjab Police also recovered illegal pistols, molotov cocktails, and live cartridges, said the Director General of Police (Punjab).
In September 2026 an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times to decisions taken by Chief Election CommissionerGyanesh Kumar in connection with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The CJP demanded Kumar’s resignation, a freeze on the SIR process, restoration of the January 2025 voter lists, repeal of the 2023 appointment law, and broader electoral reforms. It organised protests in Delhi and Mumbai under a “Jail Bharo Andolan” strategy despite denial of permission.
On 10 October 2026, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other groups attempted to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration and imposed security restrictions ahead of the planned protest.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, and co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained on the day of protests by police immediately after their flight landed at IGI airport by invoking BNSS 126 and 170 for prevention of a cognizable offence. All three members were released the following day with ₹50,000 surety bond for peaceful conduct and good behaviour for a year. Ajinkya Shinde was named protest leader in their absence. The protests continued in Delhi without CJP leaders, Al Jazeera reporting that more than 1,000 people, including opposition politicians, journalists, student activists and lawyers, had been detained in connection with the protests.
↑Bose, Ajoy (14 June 2026). "New Dalit Leaders Focusing On Issue-Based Politics Rather Than The Caste Issue". The Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026. The advent of a new personality in India's political landscape, Abhijit Dipke, a 24-year-old Dalit belonging to the Mahar sub-caste, the same as Dalit messiah and architect of the Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar, from Aurangabad in Marathwada, now studying in Boston, provides a new twist to Dalit politics in the country.
