The Cockroach People's Party (CJP), a satirical political movement in India, was founded on May 16, 2026, by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate and former political strategist for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) [1, 2, 3].
Dipke arrived in New Delhi on June 5 to prepare for a planned peaceful protest the next day targeting Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest demands Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in major examinations [1, 2, 3]. Dipke will apply for police permission to hold the protest immediately after arriving [1, 2, 4, 3].
The party’s name mocks Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), inspired by Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant’s reported comments labeling young government critics as "cockroaches" and "parasites," comments he later said were taken out of context [1, 2, 3].
Since its founding just three weeks ago, the CJP has rapidly gained tens of millions of followers on social media, despite some accounts having been blocked due to Indian social media regulations [1, 2]. Activist Sonam Wangchuk from Ladakh has expressed support for participating in the protest [1, 3].
Dipke urged his supporters to remain peaceful and avoid causing chaos, saying, "We are law-abiding citizens and must act responsibly. So please be aware, no one should cause any form of chaos" [2, 4].
Party spokesperson Saurav Das described the movement as one "demanding accountability from the government" reflecting widespread youth disillusionment [5].
Dipke’s immediate next step is to seek official permission from New Delhi police for the June 6 protest focused on Education Minister Pradhan.
