The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP; ), also known as the Cockroach movement, is an Indian youth-based satirical political movement 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.
Background The origins of the movement are tied to a contempt plea filed in the Supreme Court of India concerning a delay by the Delhi High Court in conferring a senior advocate designation. A two-judge bench led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi refused to hear the case, remarking that the court was waiting for an appropriate case to direct a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into lawyers practising under fake degrees.
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.
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 structure Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist, launched the "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) online on 16 May 2026 as a satire of the political establishment. The party's name is a reference to the CJI's remarks, as well as a parody of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The CJP's name roughly translates to "Cockroach People's Party", paralleling the BJP's "Indian People's Party". The CJP's website went live under the tagline "Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed", describing itself as a "platform for all the 'cockroaches' out there". He stated in an interview with India Today that the CJI's comments had been particularly hurtful because they came from the custodian of the Constitution, who is tasked with protecting freedom of expression.
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 organizations across the political spectrum on occasions of protests, including from left-wing student organisations like AISF and AIYF, the chief of right-wing Hindutva organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and political organizations, 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. The BBC characterised its tone as "somewhere between parody and sincerity" and noted that the platform contained "recognisable political claims: accountability, media reform, electoral transparency and expanded representation for women."
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. Although the official reason remained confidential, The Indian Express reported from anonymous sources that the government was acting on inputs from the Intelligence Bureau, citing national security concerns, arguing that the CJP's content was inflammatory and gaining rapid traction among youth.
Within minutes of being taken down on X, the party returned with a new handle titled "Cockroach is Back". On 26May 2026, Dipke moved the Delhi High Court challenging the block. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court the account was blocked because it could have "created chaos" in advance of the 21 June resits of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET). Considering the concern as no longer valid, the court ordered the unblocking of the account on 7July.
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 Mahar Dalit 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.
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.
Ideology 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. If any legitimate vote is deleted, the Chief Election Commissioner shall be arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as taking away voting rights is "no less than terrorism" (in reference to the 2025 Indian electoral controversy). 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. Any Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Member of Parliament (MP) who defects from one party to another shall be barred from contesting elections and holding public office for 20 years.
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") Lazy ("refers only to physical activity") 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 The movement has drawn backing from civil society figures including anti-corruption veteran Anna Hazare, who urged the government to heed its young supporters, and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began a solidarity hunger strike, reflecting youth concerns over unemployment, exam paper leaks, and accountability. Leftist student organisations, including the All India Students' Federation and the All India Youth Federation, formally endorsed the protests by CJP. Activist Sonam Wangchuk supported the CJP and described himself as an "honorary cockroach". Protestors also gained the support of political activists Suzanna Arundhati Roy and Yogendra Salim Yadav and actors Prakash Raj and Naseeruddin Shah
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.