‘Tell them we are not afraid’: Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke says ‘today’s protest was just a teaser’ | Today’s news

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday thanked people who joined him for the outfit’s first-ever protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. In a post on X, Dipke, who returned from the US that day to lead a youth-led agitation demanding accountability and resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and the CBSE Class 12 OSM controversy, said Saturday’s protest was just the beginning.

“Just a Trailer”

“FYI, today’s protest was just a teaser. Thank you for turning out in such huge numbers,” he said.

The 30-year-old also revealed that his family had to leave their home due to threats.

“I went home to see my parents, it’s been more than a year since I last met them. They suffered a lot in the last 15 days and had to leave home due to threats. I will take them back home,” Dipke said.

“Cockroaches” gathered at Jantar Mantar

Earlier, in response to Dipke’s call on social media, hundreds of youth gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in one of the biggest protests the national capital has seen in years. The protesters also carried copies of the Constitution and the Indian flag, while some brought flowers.

Addressing the protesters, the CJP founder said that his mother cried more after his return than when he left for the US because she was afraid of his arrest after returning to India.

“This is not just the fear of my mother, this is the fear of the parents of every young person who talks about politics… How long are we going to live in fear? Tell them we are not afraid,” he said.

Dipke also said that just before his plane was about to land, he felt like he was living his last moments of freedom. “I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause,” he said.

He claimed that many people compromised and “sold out” because of the fear of imprisonment. “The youth and students of this country have not sold out,” he said.

The protest ended around 3:30 pm after Dipke started feeling unwell.

CJP from meme to protest on ground

The CJP, which is less than a month old, emerged from social media memes in response to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant calling unemployed youth and some social media critics “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”.

Although the CJI later clarified that his comments were specifically aimed at those entering the legal and media professions using fake degrees and not the country’s youth.

Read also | CJI clarifies ‘parasite’ remark, blames media for misquoting

But by then the comment had taken on a life of its own, with many describing themselves as “cockroaches” on social media.

On May 16, a day after the CJI’s comment, the Cockroach Janta Party social media account was launched and within days it overtook mainstream political parties including the Congress and the BJP in terms of online followers.

Read also | Cockroach Janta Party is launching a new X handle after the account was previously suspended

The formation of the CJP coincided with growing anger, especially among the youth and students, over the NEET paper leaks and the CBSE Class 12 On-Screen Marking controversy, which affected their future.

Key things

• The Janta cockroach party symbolizes a growing youth movement demanding accountability from the government.
• The protest highlights concerns about educational integrity and the impact of systemic failures on students’ futures.
• Abhijeet Dipke’s personal sacrifices and experiences resonate with the larger narrative of youth activism in India.