NEW DELHI (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party, an online joke that has drawn millions of followers across India, gathered for the first time in the capital on Saturday for its biggest real-world test yet.
The protest near Parliament in New Delhi marked the movement’s first step into street politics after weeks of dominating social media feeds and news headlines, attracting widespread support among young Indians.
The immediate trigger for Saturday’s protest was the reported irregularity in a recent exam that quickly became a broader outlet for frustration over India’s education system and limited job opportunities.
“Time to turn this tiny joke into a revolution,” the official CJP account on X posted Friday. Young people in India make up more than a quarter of the population.
Protesters seek minister’s resignation within the week
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online movement, joined the protest after arriving from the U.S. Police had laid steel barricades at the arrivals section of New Delhi’s international airport.
Dipke said in a social media post shortly after arriving that police granted permission to the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, to hold the protest, adding: “Cockroaches gather at Jantar Mantar.”
CJP organizers have demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Supporters chanted slogans including, “Cockroaches are coming, Dharmendra Pradhan is going!”
Participants were encouraged to bring India’s national flag and a book, which organizers said symbolized the right to education and equal opportunity for all. Organizers urged them to remain peaceful and avoid confrontations with police.
Mansi Sehgal, a 26-year-old protester, said the protests began around exam issues but the deeper problem is that people haven’t had a space to speak up or ask questions.
“CJP is doing that. So, this is literally the first thing that people can connect and ask questions,” she said.
“This is a long fight. We are seeing that’s it’s nearly a month that we are demanding (Pradhan’s) resignation,” Dipke said at the protest venue.
Late Saturday, the CJP in a statement said the party is giving the government seven days: Either Pradhan resigns or Prime Minister Narendra Modi removes him.
“If no action is taken within seven days, this movement will spread across the country,” it added.
‘Cockroaches’ face tough challenge
The event was an early test of whether the movement can channel its online popularity into a broader grassroots support around growing frustration among young Indians over education, jobs and economic prospects.
Another challenge is how the party would navigate the kind of pushback that earlier protest movements have faced under Modi’s government.
Over the past decade, authorities have sought to stamp out protests against his government, including demonstrations against a controversial citizenship legislation and farmers’ protests. Some protest movements have faced legal action against organizers and activist arrests, which critics say reflects a broader effort under Modi to suppress dissent.
But despite challenges, protesters expressed optimism for change.
“This is a youth-first movement,” said Satya Prakash Yadav, a student. “Youth is the future and we will ensure that our future is secure.”
The online party has risen swiftly
The CJP emerged only three weeks ago. Supporters proudly call themselves “cockroaches,” a term that India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant used to disparage critics and some unemployed youth during a May hearing.
Dipke, a political communications strategist and Boston University student, used the insult as inspiration for a parody political party. CJP’s Instagram page has now amassed more than 22 million followers.
The cockroach has become a wry badge of endurance and political articulation. Videos and memes lampooning unemployment, corruption and political dysfunction have drawn millions of views online. Parody CJP accounts have adopted the cockroach as a political symbol in satirical commentary.
The movement’s messaging blends self-deprecating humor with political criticism. Supporters jokingly describe themselves as unemployed and perpetually online.
They also say they are shut out of meaningful influence. CJP supporters argue that ordinary Indians, particularly young people, under Modi have fewer opportunities, with limited job opportunities and rising unemployment.
It’s a gimmick for Modi supporters
The group’s rise echoes a trend across South Asia of youth movements born out of social media playing a central role in anti-government protests, including uprisings in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and unrest in Nepal.
Young people in India have expressed growing disillusionment with traditional politics. Many are critical of Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, citing concerns over rising religious polarization, widening inequality and mounting economic pressures.
The movement’s skeptics, particularly supporters of Modi’s party, dismiss it as little more than a social media gimmick. They argue its online popularity may not translate into street mobilization and that its rapid rise is likely fleeting.
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Associated Press journalists Shonal Ganguly and Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi contributed to this report.
