Cockroach Janta Party to Build Nationwide Grassroots Network

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which spearheaded India’s largest student protests in recent years, is now shifting toward long-term grassroots organizing to keep pressure on the government over unfulfilled promises to young people. Spokesperson Saurav Das, a 27-year-old former investigative journalist, told Bloomberg the group is building a district-by-district network of workers who will travel across the country and hold public gatherings in villages to understand young people’s concerns, focusing on unemployment, inflation and food security. Das said the party has no immediate intention of registering as a formal political outfit.

From Social Media Post to Mass Movement

Founded by Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP emerged within roughly two months from a viral social media post into a nationwide student movement, fueled by anger over recurring exam paper leaks and broader failures in the education system. The unrest intensified sharply after Delhi Police forcibly removed hunger-striking educator Sonam Wangchuk from a protest site and hospitalized him, triggering fresh waves of demonstrations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Clashes with police using tear gas and batons followed as crowds tried to march on Parliament. The fallout led to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on July 25 — the first ministerial exit under public pressure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s twelve-year tenure.

Continued Scrutiny of Police Conduct

Das said the CJP intends to keep operating as a youth-led pressure group while pushing authorities on allegations of police excess during the protests. The party has set up a digital repository collecting photos, videos and testimonies of alleged misconduct, gathering over 500 submissions so far. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over the issue, a call the CJP says it welcomes as legitimate scrutiny.