India's 'Cockroach Party' chief flies to New Delhi for protest

Reuters: The founder of India’s satirical online “Cockroach People’s Party” said he was flying back to New Delhi on Friday, to take the viral social media campaign to the streets.

Abhijeet Dipke, the 30-year-old Boston University graduate behind the online movement, said he was flying back from the United States to seek police permission for a peaceful protest on Saturday against the education minister.

The parody “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) — echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — has won millions of online followers on social media since its launch last month.

CJP was set up after India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly called young people who criticised the government “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing. Kant later said his comments were taken out of context.

Dipke, a political communications strategist who formerly worked with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), created the fictional party online on May 16.

Its popularity has soared, using the slogan “a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth”.

‘Overwhelming response’

Dipke has called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has faced criticism over alleged irregularities in several key examinations.

“On my way to India … Leaving my fate in the hands of the Constitution,” Dipke wrote in a post on X on Friday.

Sonam Wangchuk, 59, a prominent activist from occupied Ladakh, who spent six months in detention after being arrested in September following deadly protests demanding autonomy for the Himalayan territory, has said he will join the protests.

India tightly regulates social media content, and some of the CJP’s social media handles have been blocked.

But its Instagram handle, still online in India, has more than 22 million followers — more than double the BJP’s 9m followers on the same site, as well as the main opposition Congress Party’s 13m followers.

Dipke earlier called on followers not to gather at the airport upon his arrival.

“The overwhelming response from those who want the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan to our call to join us at Delhi Airport was beyond our imagination,” he said, in a video message on X, posted on Thursday.

“It is not feasible for so many people to assemble at the airport as it would cause inconvenience to the public and the security forces,” he said.

He said he would go immediately to the police “to seek permission directly for our peaceful protest” on Saturday.

“We are law abiding citizens and have to act responsibly,” he added. “So, please, be mindful that nobody should create any kind of disturbance.”