NEW DELHI — The Cockroach Janta Party, a social media movement, has scheduled a demonstration for Saturday at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The movement is seeking accountability from the system, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the movement, established it on May 16, 2026. He created the movement as a response to comments made by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, who described critics and unemployed youth as parasites and cockroaches during a May hearing. Dipke, a political communications strategist and who attends Boston University, will travel from the U.S. to New Delhi to attend the protest. Police installed steel barricades at the arrivals terminal of New Delhi's international airport.
The movement's Instagram account gained 15 million followers within one week of its launch and has accumulated over 22 million followers. The movement states it has over one million official members, and its official website identifies it as representing lazy and unemployed individuals. The call for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation originated from a May controversy regarding exam irregularities.
Organizers used social media to request the minister's resignation. Protest participants were instructed to bring the national flag and a book to the demonstration, and organizers directed demonstrators to maintain peaceful conduct and avoid contact with police. The official CJP account on X posted, "Time to turn this tiny joke into a revolution."
A spokesperson for the movement said, "This party, this youth movement seeks accountability from the system." The spokesperson added, "The rot in the system runs deep, and people are being vocal about it by supporting the party on social media." Movement supporters utilize digital content to address unemployment, corruption, and governance concerns. Young people make up more than one-quarter of the country's total population. Bernstein, an equity research firm, issued an open letter in April warning of employment challenges in the country.