India's viral 'Cockroach' youth group plans street protest in challenge to Modi

The founder of an online Indian youth group ‌that has amassed millions of followers in days said on Monday he plans to take his movement ​on to the streets ⁠with a protest against the education minister and in a show of dissent ‌against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Cockroach ‌Janta Party (CJP) has tapped into the concerns of the under-30s, who are estimated to make up more than half of India’s 1.42 billion population, over politics, unemployment and inflation.

Founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is based in the US, has focused ‌in particular on recent leaks of exam papers and errors in marking final-year school exams that threaten to derail ⁠the careers of millions of students.

"I will be returning to India to demand the resignation of the education minister," Dipke said on his personal account on X, urging young people to join a peaceful protest in Delhi and "exercise our constitutional right to seek accountability from the government."

He said nearly 800,000 students have signed a petition seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

The minister and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Abhijeet Dipke poses for a portrait at an undisclosed location in the US. Reuters

The ​CJP's rapid rise marks one of the largest online expressions of dissent against Modi’s 12-year rule, ‌and analysts say it could dent his image despite recent state election victories, as frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages linked to the Iran war.

The party's name is a reference to comments by India’s top judge, ⁠Chief Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court, that compared some unemployed youth to cockroaches. Kant later said he did not mean to criticise young people but was referring to those with "fake and bogus degrees." The party has more than 22 million ​followers on Instagram.

DIPKE ‌SAYS HIS FAMILY IS WORRIED HE COULD BE ARRESTED

Dipke, who has lived in the US for ‌the past two years, said his family and friends were worried he could be arrested on his return. "How long can we live in fear?" he said.

The government has blocked the CJP's X account and Dipke told Reuters he had to ‌regain control of the ‌party's Instagram page from unknown hackers.

Senior cabinet minister Kiren ⁠Rijiju has accused the CJP of seeking social media followers from arch-enemy Pakistan and the "anti-India ‌gang," while Modi has yet to comment.

Rattled by anger following the cancellation of an entrance test for undergraduate medical courses last month due to a leak, the government is planning to ⁠deploy the Indian Air Force to transport question papers for a retest this month, instead of using ​the postal department.

CJP has also focused on a youth job crisis. Government data shows that for those aged between 15 and 29, unemployment was 9.9% last year, more than triple the overall rate ⁠of 3.1%.

Reuters