Mock political party for India’s young ‘cockroaches’ holds first street protest

Hundreds of supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), an online joke that has drawn millions of followers across India, have gathered for the first time in the capital 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 on Friday.

Young people in India make up more than a quarter of the population.

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online movement, joined the protest after arriving from the US. Police had laid steel barricades at the arrivals section of New Delhi’s international airport.

Mr Dipke said in a social media post shortly after arriving that police granted permission to the CJP to hold the protest, adding: “Cockroaches gather at Jantar Mantar.”

CJP organisers 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 organisers said symbolised the right to education and equal opportunity for all. Organisers 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 have not 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,” Mr 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.

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 Mr 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 organisers and activist arrests, which critics say reflects a broader effort under Mr 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 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.

Mr 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 movement’s messaging blends self-deprecating humour 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 Mr Modi have fewer opportunities, with limited job opportunities and rising unemployment.

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 Mr Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, citing concerns over rising religious polarisation, widening inequality and mounting economic pressures.

The movement’s sceptics, particularly supporters of Mr Modi’s party, dismiss it as little more than a social media gimmick. They argue its online popularity may not translate into street mobilisation and that its rapid rise is likely fleeting.