New Delhi: Ever since the Cockroach Janta Party became a viral phenomenon last month, the question has been: will they, or won’t they? Will they move from online satire to on-ground activism? Lead a youth mobilisation like the Gen Z uprising in Nepal? This week has yielded some clues.
With its first formal press meet, three spokespersons appointed, and a major Jantar Mantar protest planned for today, the CJP is no longer joking.
Now, founder Abhijeet Dipke is flying down to India, asking his “cockroaches” to “Assemble” in true Marvel style. Before leaving the US—where he recently completed a master’s degree at Boston University—Dipke posted on X on Friday that he was on his way home.
“Leaving my fate in the hands of the Constitution,” he wrote, with the hashtag JaiBhim.
On my way to India…
Leaving my fate in the hands of the Constitution. #JaiBhim
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) June 5, 2026
This was probably the first time Dipke, a Dalit from Maharashtra, had written Jai Bhim, a slogan hailing Dr BR Ambedkar, since CJP took over the internet with a follower count of over 22 million on Instagram, famously exceeding even that of the official BJP handle, and nearly 1.7 lakh on X.
It may have remained just satire, a response to a remark by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant describing some unemployed youth as “cockroaches”, had it not been for the groundswell of both support and opposition. Its X page was blocked on 21 May under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, even as Opposition leaders such as Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, Derek O’Brien, and Manish Sisodia spoke up in support of the party.
Legions of disgruntled youth are now claiming “cockroach” as their identity, and even well-known names such as activist Sonam Wangchuk and actor Prakash Raj have adopted the moniker. This week, the movement took a major step beyond social media with the announcement of the protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over paper leaks and other exam-related controversies.
And that is why the Cockroach Janta Party is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the Week.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court refused to hear a petition from an organisation called Save India Foundation, which raised law and order concerns arising from the CJP’s protest. And now the online movement seems truly set to hit the streets.
The CJP issued has a detailed advisory asking supporters to carry the tricolour and a book, offer flowers to the police, and keep the protest disciplined and peaceful. “Revolution requires breakfast,” it added.
Also Read: There’s never just one cockroach. Abhijeet Dipke only turned on the light
Finding a cause
When Dipke spoke to ThePrint over the phone on 19 May, he called the creation of the CJP “completely impromptu.”
“I read the CJI’s comment—that everybody is a cockroach—and I tweeted from my personal account,” he said.
“Eligibility criteria –unemployed, lazy, chronically online and ability to rant professionally,” he wrote on X. He added a Google form for those who wanted to join the new party.
The CJI had reportedly made these remarks during a court hearing on 15 May, and though he later said that the media had misquoted him, the spark had already caught. Thousands of young people had already started to join CJP.
As the movement gained momentum, questions about Dipke’s background, political leanings, and views on caste and reservation started being lobbed at him.
On 21 May, he posted on X: “I am a Dalit myself. I hope that will answer all your questions.”
While the revelation was a moment of pride for many within the community—seeing a Dalit leader helm a movement that had captured national imagination—it also triggered a swift wave of casteist comments.
“So the self-proclaimed Gen Z leader is against merit,” wrote Mumbai-based writer-director Anuraadha Tewari. Another handle, Sassy Soul, commented, “Aa gya D card” (Here comes the Dalit card). ImHydro, an account with nearly 20,000 followers, shared a post featuring a photo accompanied by abusive language.
Dipke, however, chose not to engage with the online hostility. He seemed prepared for the blowback. Even as its X account was withheld and its Instagram pages were allegedly hacked, he outlined a specific cause via reels: accountability for NEET paper leaks and irregularities in CBSE and other exams. It resonated strongly with his base.
“Do not back off,” Dipke recalled young people messaging him during his interview with ThePrint.
According to data on the CJP website, the group has nearly 20,000 formally registered members, and Dipke claims that over six lakh people have signed their online petition demanding Pradhan’s resignation.
Also Read: Taking cue from Vijay & CJP, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena forms panel to align itself with Gen Z
Will it be a Nepal-style protest?
With a massive base of teenagers and young adults in their early twenties driving the CJP, the movement has inevitably drawn comparisons to recent youth-led political upheavals in the neighbourhood. Last year, a massive student mobilisation in Nepal led to the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government, while a youth-led uprising in Bangladesh toppled Sheikh Hasina’s regime in 2024.
Dipke, however, has rejected such parallels.
“Do not insult or underestimate the Gen Z of India by making such comparisons,” he wrote on X. “They understand their constitutional rights and will express their dissent through peaceful and democratic means.”
Many journalists have been asking me whether this GenZ movement will turn into what happened in Nepal or Bangladesh.
Let me make this absolutely clear. Do not insult or underestimate the GenZ of India by making such comparisons. The youth of this country are far more mature,…
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) May 19, 2026
This take was not kindly received by all.
“Don’t underestimate Nepali genz protest,” said one comment. Another X user wrote a long post in response to Dipke: “77 young people were brutally killed during the Gen Z movement in Nepal. They were human beings, students, citizens, protesters. They did not take to the streets because they were STUPID.”
Ahead of the CJP’s first street outing, Dipke in a video message on Friday said the response to his call for people to meet him at the Delhi airport was “beyond our imagination”, and asked supporters not to gather there. Instead, he said, he would go straight to Parliament Street police station to seek permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar.
“We are law-abiding citizens and have to act responsibly. So please be mindful that nobody should create any kind of disturbance,” he said.
Dipke is expected to land in Delhi around 8 am, while CJP has called protesters to gather at Jantar Mantar at 9 am.
Meanwhile, his viral Jai Bhim post has already received over 7,000 comments, with many calling him a “hero” and others foreseeing an arrest.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)