Also read: The Exacting Demands of the New Cockroach Janta Party Shake Up India
In two months, the movement has evolved from a satirical online campaign into a street-mobilisation force capable of bringing tens of thousands of people into the capital, triggering the largest confrontation with the Modi government since the beginning of his third term. It nevertheless remains focused on a single concrete and immediate demand—the resignation of Education Minister Pradhan—while the five-point manifesto [read here] serves more as its underlying ideological platform. As of 23 July, the government has yielded on neither demand, and the movement has opted for a prolonged sit-in rather than further marches, in order to avoid more clashes with the police.
Origins (Recap, May 2026)
The Cockroach Janta Party [Cockroach People’s Party] was born on 20 May 2026 after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed young graduates to “cockroaches” (before clarifying that he had been referring to holders of fake degrees). In response, Abhijeet Dipke, a young Indian living in Boston, launched the movement, which attracted millions of Instagram followers within days. Its five-point manifesto (ending preferential parliamentary seats for retired judges[1], arresting the head of the Election Commission under the UAPA[2] in the event of fraud, reserving 50% of seats in Parliament and government posts for women, revoking the licences of Ambani/Adani media outlets, and imposing a 20-year ban on elected representatives who defect) was widely circulated, notably through the article we had translated.
June 2026: First Rally
On 6 June, an initial rally was held, driven by anger over the cancellation of the NEET examination[3] (following a question-paper leak) and a graduate unemployment rate of around 29%. The central demand crystallised around the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Activist Sonam Wangchuk[4] lent his support; the government (BJP) remained dismissive, demanding a “concrete” list of demands, while the CJP website was blocked in India.
Escalation in July 2026 (Latest Developments)
20 July: Tens of thousands of demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament at the opening of the monsoon session. Police charged them violently with tear gas and batons: around 180 people were injured (60 demonstrators and 118 police officers, according to Delhi Police), and 70 were detained.
21 July: The organisers announced an end to street marches “for the safety of young people”, but continued a sit-in at Jantar Mantar[5] and refused to leave until Pradhan resigned.
21–22 July: Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka[6], along with other opposition figures, were briefly detained near Modi’s residence during a solidarity sit-in; they were later released. Congress then disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha[7], with both chambers suspended several times.
Pradhan accused Gandhi of exploiting the students for political purposes.
On 22–23 July, the Supreme Court refused to hear urgently a petition concerning police violence against the demonstrators.
According to The Wire, Modi made his first public statement on the students’ anger, promising to “spare no one” who harms the future of the country’s youth—a formulation the outlet described as an almost word-for-word repetition of similar promises made at least four times in three years, although this time he did not promise fast-track courts.
A first gesture of openness emerged: Health Minister J. P. Nadda met CJP representatives for ten minutes, but Pradhan still refuses to resign.
Notes
[1]In India, it is customary to appoint retired chief justices of the Supreme Court to Parliament (the Rajya Sabha). The first point of the manifesto calls for this privilege to be abolished.
[2]UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act): an Indian anti-terrorism law enacted in 1967 and substantially strengthened in 2019. Among other provisions, it allows suspects to be detained without trial for long periods and permits the government to designate an organisation or individual as “terrorist” by simple notification, without prior judicial approval. It is regularly criticised for being used against activists and political opponents. By proposing that it be applied to the head of the Election Commission in the event of fraud, the CJP deliberately invokes a law regarded as exceptionally harsh—a provocative and symbolic choice rather than a realistic proposal.
[3]NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test): India’s single nationwide entrance examination for medical studies, compulsory since 2016 for all public and private medical colleges. Several million candidates sit the examination each year for a very limited number of places. Repeated question-paper leaks—including one in 2024 and another in 2026—with networks charging for advance access to the questions, have fuelled student anger, as they see them as a betrayal of merit-based selection.
[4]Sonam Wangchuk: an engineer, education reformer and environmental activist from Ladakh who partly inspired the main character in the film 3 Idiots. For years, he has campaigned for reform of India’s education system and for political status for Ladakh, including through several highly publicised protest fasts. His support gives the CJP moral legitimacy beyond the circle of unemployed young people.
[5]Jantar Mantar: a historic site in New Delhi—an 18th-century astronomical observatory—located near Parliament. For decades, it has served as an officially tolerated venue for demonstrations and sit-ins, effectively a designated protest zone. Retreating there after the repression of 20 July therefore represents a more “authorised” form of protest than an undeclared street march.
[6]Rahul Gandhi (born 1970), of the Indian National Congress, is the official Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. His sister Priyanka Gandhi (born 1972) is a member of the Lok Sabha. They are the children of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi, the grandchildren of Indira Gandhi and the great-grandchildren of Jawaharlal Nehru.
[7]Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha: the two chambers of the Indian Parliament. The Lok Sabha (“House of the People”), the directly elected lower house, is equivalent to the House of Commons or a national assembly. The Rajya Sabha (“Council of States”), the upper house indirectly elected by state legislatures, with a number of appointed seats traditionally including former chief justices—see note 1—is equivalent to a senate.
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