When Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites”, the backlash was instant. But among the memes and outrage emerged a political movement. On May 16, 30-year-old Indian political communication strategist Abhijeet Dipke launched the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from the US. The CJP became a satirical but sharp response to a generation increasingly feeling abandoned by the systems meant to support them. Within days, the party’s Instagram crossed 1.5 crore followers — overtaking the BJP’s follower count — while its X account was withheld in India after gaining over 2.2 crore followers in a week.

Behind the absurdity of the name lies a real frustration. CJP’s demands for jobs, fair exams, accountability, and an end to divisive politics struck a nerve in a year already shaken by the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which disrupted the futures of over 23 lakh aspirants. The movement tapped into the youth’s simmering exhaustion of competing endlessly in a system where even “entry-level” jobs demand years of experience.