‘Tell them, we are not scared’: Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke says ‘today’s protest was just a trailer’

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday thanked people who joined him in the outfit’s first-ever protest in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. In a post on X, Dipke, who returned from the US earlier in the day to lead the youth-led agitation demanding accountability and resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and CBSE Class 12 OSM controversies, said Saturday’s protest was just the beginning.

‘Just a trailer’

“FYI, today’s protest was just a trailer. Thank you for showing up in such huge numbers,” he said.

The 30-year-old also revealed that his family had to leave their home because of threats.

“Going home to see my parents, it’s been more than a year since I last met them. They've suffered a lot over the last 15 days and had to leave home because of threats. Will be taking them back to home,” Dipke said.

‘Cockroaches’ assemble at Jantar Mantar

Earlier, responding to Dipke’s call on social media, hundreds of youths converged at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for one of the largest protests the national capital has seen in years. Protesters also carried copies of the Constitution and the Indian flag, while some brought flowers.

Addressing the protesters, the CJP founder said his mother cried more on his return than when he had left for the US, as she feared his arrest on coming back to India.

"This is not just the fear of my mother, this is the fear of the parents of any youngster who speaks on politics.... How long will we live in fear? Tell them, we are not scared," he said.

Dipke also said that just before his plane was about to land, he felt as though he was living his last moments of freedom. "I was fully prepared to sacrifice my freedom for this cause," he said.

He alleged that many people have compromised themselves and "sold out" due to the fear of imprisonment. “The youth and students of this country have not sold themselves," he said.

The protest ended around 3:30 pm after Dipke started feeling unwell.

CJP from meme to protesting on ground

The CJP, which is less than one month old, emerged out of social media memes in response to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, who termed unemployed youth and some social media critics as “cockroaches" and "parasites of society."

Though the CJI later clarified that his comments were specifically aimed at those entering legal and media professions using fake degrees, and not at the country's youth.

But by then, the comment had taken on a life of its own, with many describing themselves as ‘cockroaches’ on social media.

On May 16, a day after the CJI’s comment, Cockroach Janta Party’s social media account went live, and within days it overtook mainstream political parties including the Congress and BJP in terms of online followers.

The creation of the CJP coincided with the growing anger, especially among the youth and students, over the NEET paper leaks and CBSE’s Class 12 On-Screen Marking controversy, which have affected their future.