India's 'Cockroach' youth movement stages first street protest in New Delhi, demanding education minister's resignation

From meme to movement

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began as a satirical response to Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant, who referred to unemployed youth as "cockroaches" and "parasites" last month. Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate, posted on X: "What if all cockroaches came together?" The joke resonated instantly. Within weeks, the CJP's Instagram page amassed over 20 million followers (22 million according to several sources), more than double the following of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The name itself parodies the ruling BJP.

Cockroaches are never afraid.

The first physical test

On Saturday, June 6, Dipke flew from the United States to New Delhi to lead the movement's first offline protest at Jantar Mantar, a traditional site for opposition demonstrations. He arrived carrying a biography of Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of India's constitution. Plainclothes officers informed him the protest could proceed, contrary to his expectation of being arrested upon landing. Around 2,000 police in riot gear and steel barricades were deployed, but the demonstration passed without incident.

They have at least managed to hold a press conference in the run-up to this protest. That is something the prime minister of this country has never done.

Turnout and demands

Hundreds attended, not the thousands some had anticipated. De Volkskrant noted the modest turnout may reflect uncertainty over whether authorities would permit the gathering. Protesters wore cockroach masks, waved Indian flags, and stacked textbooks bound with straps. Their central demand: the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring exam paper leaks, administrative failures, and test cancellations, including the NEET medical entrance exam fiasco, which has reportedly been linked to student suicides.

I am here because Indian youth are witnessing the collapse of the education system. As young people, it is up to us to act.

An ultimatum issued

Dipke set a deadline: if Pradhan does not resign within seven days, the CJP will take to the streets in cities across the country and return to Jantar Mantar. The Dutch outlet NOS reported that the minister let an earlier, same-day ultimatum pass. The movement frames education as the primary pathway for India's middle class and poor, and the exam fraud as proof that money and connections outweigh talent.

I saw a lot of talent today. They are losing faith in this country, that is why they are here. But I fear the movement will run out of steam without clear direction.

Government response and regional echoes

The Indian government has reportedly asked platform X to block the CJP profile, citing national security concerns. Sarthak Bagchi, a PhD researcher on Indian politics at Leiden University, described the movement as still more an online phenomenon than a structured organization. Authorities are wary of the spark jumping from screens to a sustained Gen-Z movement, as seen in neighboring Bangladesh and Nepal, where protests ultimately contributed to government collapses.