CPJ Abhijit Dipke Says: Nationwide Movement if Dharmendra Pradhan Does Not Resign
NEW DELHI : A state of panic has gripped the government upon witnessing the growing strength of the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP)—formed within just a month following Chief Justice Surya Kant’s ‘cockroach’ remark regarding the nation’s youth. Fearing that a massive, uncontrollable crowd might gather if Abhijit Dipke—returning from the US—were denied permission to protest, authorities promptly issued an order allowing him to demonstrate at the airport.
Regarding the ‘cockroach’ issue, the CJP has set a new seven-day deadline for the Centre to remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They have warned that if no action is taken, the movement will spread across the entire country. Following the protest at Jantar Mantar, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka stated that Saturday’s demonstration was merely a “trailer.” He warned that the agitation would intensify if the government failed to act on their demands. Despite the scorching heat, the crowd at Jantar Mantar was seen swelling by the hour. Earlier in the day, following a meeting with officials at the airport, the Delhi Police granted Dipke permission to protest at Jantar Mantar until 5 PM. Initially, the crowd had gathered at the Sansad Marg Police Station.
Responding to questions about CJP founder Abhijit Dipke’s earlier 5 PM ultimatum, Ranka stated that the organization is now giving the Centre seven days to either remove Dharmendra Pradhan or secure his resignation. “If he has even the slightest respect for Indian democracy, he should resign with dignity, or Prime Minister Modi should remove him from office,” he said, adding, “Otherwise, this movement will spread across the entire country.” Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk arrived at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to participate in a protest led by Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Thousands of protesters had gathered there to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Delhi Police granted permission for the protest immediately after Dipke arrived at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport from the US. Dipke asked the protesters to head straight to Jantar Mantar.
The CJP set a new seven-day deadline for the Centre to remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, warning that the movement would spread nationwide if no action was taken. Ranka stated, “This is a long battle, but today we have hit the reset button.” Dipke mentioned that he was heading home after the protest and promised that the movement would continue. The CJP received support from several opposition leaders.
In a post on X, Abhijit Dipke stated that he was going home to meet his parents for the first time in over a year. Dipke claimed his family had faced significant hardships over the past two weeks and had temporarily left their home due to alleged threats. “Today’s protest was just a trailer,” he wrote, hinting that more people might gather in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal supported the CJP protest, stating in a post on X that the “Cockroach Movement” reflects the deep anger and frustration of the country’s youth. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also backed the youth-led protest at Jantar Mantar, asserting that the government should listen to the students rather than dismissing them. The ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP)—which began as a humorous online movement and rapidly evolved into a political phenomenon by attracting Gen-Z—mobilized its 22 million Instagram followers for its first offline protest. They were demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, under whose watch the recent CBSE and NEET examinations were marred by massive failures. The protest took place amidst heavy security.
Its founder, Abhijit Dipke, returned to India today and, upon landing at the airport, expressed his excitement to meet everyone. Addressing the protesters—who consisted mostly of students and young professionals—Dipke raised slogans: “The youth of the country will no longer be afraid; they will fight. Cockroaches neither fear nor ever die.” Dipke told the crowd, “Let us tell them that we will no longer be intimidated by their politics of fear… Stop the politics of religion! Stop the ‘Hindu-Muslim’ politics!” The crowd responded with chants of “Stop it!”
Dipke said, “It has been a month since the demand for Pradhan’s resignation began on social media, yet these people are so shameless that instead of taking action, they are focusing on distractions—hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted.” The Modi government has attempted to curb CJP’s rapidly growing online reach. Dipke has alleged attempts to hack his accounts, while ruling party officials have falsely claimed that the majority of CJP’s followers are based in Pakistan or other countries outside India.
