The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began as a satirical online post on 16 May 2026, a day after the Chief Justice of India called some jobless youth "cockroaches". Angry over the cancelled NEET-UG medical exam, it grew into India's largest youth protest in years, peaking in a violent march on Parliament on 20 July. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on 25 July, and from late September the movement turned its fire on the Chief Election Commissioner.
Key takeaways
- The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began on 16 May 2026 when Abhijeet Dipke posted "What if all the cockroaches come together?" on X, a day after Chief Justice Surya Kant called some unemployed youth "cockroaches" in a hearing.
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke worked on the Aam Aadmi Party's social media and campaign operation from 2020 to 2023, which he acknowledges, and told Reuters in August 2026 that he has no near-term plan to contest elections and endorses no party.
- During the CJP's "Sansad Chalo" march in Delhi on 20 July 2026, held without police permission, Delhi Police counted 118 security personnel and about 60 protesters injured and registered 13 FIRs.
- Delhi Police first called reports of pellet use on 20 July 2026 "fake news", but a Rapid Action Force General Diary entry recorded plastic-pellet rounds fired "on the orders of the DCP", and a 19-year-old student lost vision in one eye.
- Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on 25 July 2026 after the NEET-UG paper-leak protests, and Parliament passed an anti-paper-leak amendment providing up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to ₹10 crore.
- No evidence has been published for the claim, amplified by the RSS-linked weekly Organiser on 5 October 2026, that the CJP was planned at the Oslo Freedom Forum or funded by the Human Rights Foundation or George Soros.
- From late September 2026 the CJP demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter deletions, and more than 500 people were reportedly arrested at its Delhi protest on 2 October.
Background: the exam crisis of May 2026
The protests grew out of two exam failures in the same month. NEET-UG, the national medical entrance test, was held on 3 May 2026 for about 22 lakh candidates. The National Testing Agency cancelled it over paper-leak allegations and the CBI took over the probe. Documented Newslaundry
More than 45 people were detained in Rajasthan. A re-exam was held on 21 June, with fees refunded. Moneylife
At the same time, CBSE's Class 12 results, the first marked at scale through on-screen marking, drew complaints of blurred scans and wrong totals. About 11 lakh answer scripts were sent for re-evaluation. Documented Business Today
On 15 May, Chief Justice Surya Kant called some unemployed youth and activists "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a hearing. The next day he said he had been referring to people who entered the Bar with fake or bogus degrees. New Indian Express
How the Cockroach Janta Party started
On 16 May 2026 Abhijeet Dipke posted on X: "What if all the cockroaches come together?" He told The Wire he only half-seriously launched a "party" after commenters asked for more. The Wire
The membership rules mocked the remark: members had to be lazy, unemployed, chronically online and professional ranters. A Google form drew 5,000 sign-ups within hours and 50,000 by the next morning. "I was totally not prepared for it," Dipke said. Documented The Wire
On Instagram the party reached 3 million followers in 78 hours and 10 million in under five days, passing the BJP's own handle. It had about 22 million by 23 May. Wikipedia Al Jazeera
CJP Instagram followers in the first week
Who is Abhijeet Dipke, and his AAP work
Dipke was born in 1995 in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He is a digital communications strategist with an MSc in Public Relations from Boston University's College of Communication. Wikipedia ThePrint
Documented · acknowledged by Dipke From 2020 to 2023 he worked on the Aam Aadmi Party's social media and campaign operation. During the 2020 Delhi election he made meme-based content aimed at young voters. He later became a communications adviser to the Delhi government's education department and is described as close to former minister Manish Sisodia. The Wire CBS News
In August 2024 he posted on X: "No distance will ever weaken my commitment to AAP." In August 2026 he said he and co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka had worked together "in AAP, not in some terrorist organisation". The Wire
Claim · critics Critics cited by the BBC say this history shows the CJP is a packaged political campaign rather than a spontaneous one. Wikipedia (citing BBC) Claim · Dipke to Reuters, Aug 2026 He has no near-term plan to contest elections and does not endorse any party. TimesLive/Reuters
Who else organised it, and how it was funded
The CJP's other public faces were spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Left student groups AISA, SFI, AISF and KYS joined the protests. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 28 June and fasted for 26 days. Khaleej Times/Reuters
Claim · CJP The party says it is "funded by nothing", runs on crowdsourced food and supplies, and that Dipke turned down cash offers. No audited accounts have been published. The Federal
The party released an education manifesto in Pune on 11 June, joined student protests in Lucknow on 12 June, and began a sit-in at Jantar Mantar from 20 June. The Hindu Wikipedia
The X account: withheld, then restored by court
Documented Around 21 May, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) had the CJP's X account withheld in India under Section 69A of the IT Act, citing "national security". Indian Express On 23 May Dipke said the party's website had also been taken down and his Instagram accounts hacked. Al Jazeera
Dipke challenged the block in the Delhi High Court, represented by Akhil Sibal and Vrinda Grover. Government's position Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Centre's main concern was that the posts could cause "chaos among students and parents" during the NEET exam, and that it had no objection to unblocking. LiveLaw
On 7 July Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma revoked the blocking order, noting that the exam had concluded and the stated concern no longer applied. LiveLaw
How it turned political
Within days Shashi Tharoor called the movement a "revelation", Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav backed it, and TMC MPs were reportedly "welcomed" into the party. Indian Express Telegraph
Arvind Kejriwal joined the Jantar Mantar protest on 16 July. Wikipedia After the 20 July crackdown, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav were detained during a sit-in outside the Prime Minister's residence. AP/PBS
When Dipke backed Rahul Gandhi's demand that Home Minister Amit Shah resign, BJP's Keshav Upadhye said he had "politicised" the movement and should join Congress. News24
Some reports say Pradhan called the CJP a "B team of terrorists"; NDTV quotes him as saying "B Team of Disruptive Elements", so the wording is disputed. NDTV Kiren Rijiju referred to a "Pakistan & George Soros gang". Frontline
False Union minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed 49% of the party's followers were Pakistani. Alt News found the CJP's Instagram analytics showed 94.7% of followers in India, and Decode found third-party tools also showed mostly Indian audiences. Telegraph Alt News Decode
No evidence Rajeev Chandrasekhar called the CJP a "cross-border influence operation", and Telangana BJP chief N. Ramchander Rao blamed "urban Naxals" and Soros. Neither produced evidence. Petitions seeking CBI, NIA or ED probes into the party were dismissed by the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court. South First The Hindu Hindustan Times
18 July: Wangchuk removed from Jantar Mantar
By day 19 of his fast, Wangchuk had lost 9.1 kg, and a Delhi High Court petition sought his hospitalisation. Wikipedia On 17 July the Home Ministry replaced the Delhi Police Commissioner, appointing Anurag Kumar. Brut
According to Brut's reconstruction, police assembled at about 3 am on 18 July for what was described as a "security drill". At about 6:30 am a white curtain went up around the stage and four or five officers removed Wangchuk in about two minutes, while Dipke was away. He was taken by ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital. Brut
Claim · Delhi Police They acted on medical grounds in line with a Delhi High Court order. Protesters caused a "slight commotion" and police showed "maximum restraint". India TV Claim · Wangchuk and his wife Plainclothes officers posed as a "medical team", and it was "illegal detention". Khaleej Times
Dipke said he was beaten and detained during the clearance, announced an indefinite hunger strike, and said the 20 July march would go ahead. Wikipedia Al Jazeera
20 July: how the march turned violent
The "Sansad Chalo" march was timed for the monsoon session's first day. Police had not given permission, and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in force. Jantar Mantar was sealed with welded 8-foot barricades before dawn. ThePrint
Site sealed
Barricades welded around Jantar Mantar. The DMRC later closed five stations: Udyog Bhawan, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath and Rajiv Chowk. Mobile internet near Parliament was cut. Wikipedia Khaleej Times/Reuters
First lathi charge at Park Hotel
Police baton-charged as the crowd moved towards Parliament. Claim · police sources Protesters threw stones first. ThePrint Deccan Chronicle
Tear gas on Raisina Road, heaviest charges at Patel Chowk
Tear gas was fired at the Raisina Road roundabout and near the Constitution Club. Two police buses had windshields smashed and shops on Janpath were vandalised. Free Press Journal
The nail-studded baton video
Near Gate 3 of Janpath Metro, UPSC aspirant Upendra Gaur filmed a baton with nails fitted into it during a lathi charge. Police called the video "fake news". BOOM verified it was filmed at the protest from its metadata and GPS data, but could not establish who fitted the nails or whether police used the baton. BOOM
Stone-pelting injures officers
Two ACPs and four other personnel were hurt in stone-pelting in the evening. On 23 July police confirmed a viral CCTV clip of stone-pelting and smashed windows at a petrol pump. Wikipedia ANI
Reporters attacked
Protesters chanting "Godi media" assaulted reporters, detailed below. Newslaundry
Pellets: denied, then recorded
Police position at the time Delhi Police called pellet reports "completely false and misleading" and "fake news", and warned of legal action against people "spreading rumours". Al Jazeera
Documented A Rapid Action Force (RAF) General Diary entry recorded firing "on the orders of the DCP": 55 non-electrical and 15 electrical shells, 5 tear-smoke grenades and plastic-pellet rounds. Outlook/The Hindu A CRPF internal finding, reported by the Indian Express, said one RAF officer near Connaught Place fired a pellet gun seven times; five rounds struck protesters. Newsreel
At least three people needed hospital care for pellet wounds: a 25-year-old man, a 19-year-old Delhi University student and a 28-year-old Outlook reporter. Newsreel The student, Sahil Lochab, lost vision in one eye; his medical documents reportedly show more than 200 pellets in his body. Al Jazeera
Claim · Amnesty International Its Evidence Lab verified two videos of an RAF officer firing a shotgun into the crowd, tear gas grenades fired directly at people, electric shock batons, and men in plain clothes beating protesters while uniformed officers stood by. Al Jazeera Human Rights Watch also said excessive force was used against largely peaceful protesters. HRW
Rahul Gandhi held a seven-hour sit-in outside the Delhi Police chief's office until a case was registered over the pellet use. Al Jazeera
Injuries: who counted what
20 July march: injuries by who counted
Police counted 118 security personnel injured, including a Special Commissioner, and about 60 protesters. AP/PBS RML Hospital recorded 65 medico-legal cases by 7 pm. The CJP claimed about 150 people were hospitalised and about 70 detained; police denied making detentions during the march. Wikipedia
Police registered 13 FIRs. Free Press Journal A video cited in a High Court PIL is said to show DCP Sandeep Lamba slapping a woman protester, and Saket Gokhale filed a complaint seeking an FIR. BOOM did not independently verify the slapping claim. Wikipedia BOOM
Attacks on reporters
Documented Times Now's Dev Kotak was surrounded by protesters chanting "Godi media", punched and kicked, and had his phone, watch and glasses taken. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das condemned the attack and apologised to him. The Statesman
ABP News's Varun Bhasin had a police vehicle he sheltered in stoned, and Republic and NDTV reporters described being hit or abused. Newslaundry
The Editors Guild said on 23 July that "biased reporting" can "never be the justification" for attacks on journalists. It also condemned police use of "electric prods". No arrests for the attacks on reporters were reported. Scroll
Protesters' account
A largely peaceful student march met excessive force: pellets, tear gas fired at bodies, electric batons, and plainclothes men with sticks, as verified by Amnesty and stated by HRW. The CJP says about 150 were hospitalised, and a 19-year-old lost an eye. Mobile internet was cut.
Police and government account
The march had no permission and Section 163 was in force. Police say protesters threw stones first; 118 personnel were injured, 15 to 20 government vehicles damaged, and CCTV shows stone-pelting at a petrol pump. ASG S.V. Raju told the Delhi High Court on 22 July that part of the protest "turned violent". Police sources say facial recognition flagged more than 2,000 people with criminal records at the sites (Organiser says 2,873); this is not independently verified and the CJP rejects it.
Sources for the police account: Wikipedia The Statesman
25 July: Dharmendra Pradhan resigns
On 23 July the Prime Minister announced fast-track courts for paper-leak cases, and Wangchuk ended his 26-day fast in the presence of ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh Rana, after written assurances on withdrawing cases and compensating families of students who died by suicide. Wikipedia Khaleej Times/Reuters
Documented On 25 July Pradhan sent his resignation to the Prime Minister. He wrote that he did not want students' futures to "get entangled in legal complexities". CJP leaders said the government had accepted their demands and called off the protests. Khaleej Times/Reuters
Pralhad Joshi was named Education Minister the same day. Khaleej Times Reuters called the July protests one of Modi's biggest setbacks since 2014. Kuwait Times/Reuters
Parliament passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the Rajya Sabha clearing it on 30 July. It provides up to 10 years in jail and fines of ₹50 lakh to ₹10 crore for paper leaks. Careers360
The later turn: against the Chief Election Commissioner
On 24 August the CJP said cases had not been withdrawn or compensation paid, and announced a 5 September march. RANE In late September it moved to the voter-roll issue, giving CEC Gyanesh Kumar a 48-hour ultimatum to resign. Al Jazeera
Claim · Abhijeet Dipke He called the CEC "the country's biggest traitor" and claimed more than 13 crore voter deletions. Business Today could not verify some of his figures. Business Today Election Commission's position The changes removed duplicate, dead or ineligible voters. Al Jazeera
On 2 October more than 500 people were reportedly arrested in Delhi, including former Chief Minister Atishi. Convener Saurav Das said: "We will ultimately end it only when Gyanesh Kumar resigns." Al Jazeera On 9 October Delhi Police denied permission for the CJP's 10 October Jantar Mantar rally, citing short notice. India TV
Questions raised about the CJP
The Human Rights Foundation, Oslo and Soros allegation
Claim · PN Rai, amplified by Organiser (5 Oct 2026) In a video, analyst PN Rai said the CJP "was never formed in Abhijeet Dipke's bedroom". He said its strategy was crafted at the Oslo Freedom Forum, run by the New York-based Human Rights Foundation (HRF), and that Dipke was trained in the US by HRF and "George Soros-linked networks". The RSS-linked weekly Organiser published the claims with a timeline. Organiser
The only specifics offered are a journalism grant to spokesperson Saurav Das from the US-based Thakur Family Foundation, which is a different body from HRF, claims that Das and Scroll's Supriya Sharma attended the forum on 1 to 3 June, and an unsourced 6 June date for Dipke's return to India. The article shows no grant record or attendee list, and carries no response from the CJP or HRF. Organiser
No evidence No grant record ties HRF or Soros to the CJP, and no independent outlet or fact-checker has verified the claim. The CJP was founded on 16 May, about two weeks before the forum met. Asked about foreign funding, the MEA spokesperson said: "I have no information to share on this issue with you." Wikipedia
Dipke's Boston University records
Claim · Surat RTI activist Amit Tiwari (about 1 Aug 2026) In complaints to authorities, he questioned how Dipke's father, a retired junior engineer at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, paid for his son's US education. The Federal
Claim · Dipke, to PTI on 3 Aug A Boston University scholarship covered part of the cost and an education loan the rest: "It is still pending and has to be repaid." He offered to release the letters if the Prime Minister makes his own degree public. ThePrint The Federal
No evidence found that his records are missing. Boston University has made no reported statement, and CBS News describes him as a BU public relations graduate student. CBS News
Dhruv Rathee's support
Documented YouTuber Dhruv Rathee made a video on the CJP's background on 20 May. He then announced he would join the CJP's voter-roll rally at Bengaluru's Freedom Park on 8 October, calling it "a fight to save democracy". Aaj Tak
Claim · Rathee "I am not here for regime change." He says he paid his own way. Oneindia No evidence of any organisational or funding link beyond public support. False A viral clip of Rathee "exposing" the CJP was edited from an April video about Raghav Chadha. Newschecker
Outcome
- Resignation: Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on 25 July; Pralhad Joshi replaced him. Khaleej Times
- Law: The anti-paper-leak amendment raised penalties to up to 10 years in jail and fines up to ₹10 crore. The education secretary was transferred and 47 NTA officials were terminated. Careers360 Newsreel
- Cases: 13 FIRs over 20 July. On 30 July the Delhi government ordered no further action against protesters except those with "criminal antecedents". DT Next
- Courts: On 30 July the Supreme Court issued notice and ordered Delhi Police to file its pellet-gun SOP. The Week
- Unmet promises: The CJP and AISA say promised case withdrawals and compensation have not happened. RANE Wikipedia
- Elections: No polling measures any effect; analyst Amitabh Tiwari expects little impact on state polls. TimesLive/Reuters
Questions people ask
Who founded the Cockroach Janta Party?
Abhijeet Dipke, a 1995-born digital communications strategist from Aurangabad with an MSc in PR from Boston University. He launched it on 16 May 2026.
Is Abhijeet Dipke linked to AAP?
Yes, by his own account. He did social media and campaign work for AAP from 2020 to 2023 and later advised the Delhi education department.
Is the CJP funded by Soros or the Human Rights Foundation?
There is no evidence. The claim comes from a PN Rai video amplified by Organiser on 5 October 2026. No grant record ties HRF or Soros to the CJP.
Did police use pellet guns on 20 July?
Yes. Police first called it "fake news", but an RAF General Diary entry recorded pellet rounds fired on a DCP's order, and a CRPF finding said one officer fired seven times.
Why did Dharmendra Pradhan resign?
He resigned on 25 July after weeks of protests over the NEET-UG leak, saying he did not want students' futures entangled in "legal complexities".
Are Dipke's Boston University records missing?
No evidence has been found that they are. An RTI activist questioned how his studies were funded; Dipke says a scholarship and an education loan paid for them.
Sources
- Newslaundry: Why NEET-UG 2026 has been cancelled, 12 May 2026
- Moneylife: NEET-UG re-exam on 21 June, refunds, CBT from next year, May 2026
- Business Today: CBSE re-evaluation, 11 lakh scripts requested, 29 May 2026
- New Indian Express: CJI on "cockroaches" remark, 16 May 2026
- The Wire: Abhijeet Dipke reveals how the CJP was born, details AAP links, Aug 2026
- Wikipedia: Cockroach Janta Party, accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia: 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protests, accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Al Jazeera: CJP founder says government took website down, 23 May 2026
- CBS News: Cockroach Janta Party online protest, 2026
- TimesLive/Reuters: Gen Z cockroach party resists lure of election, 4 Aug 2026
- Khaleej Times/Reuters: Sonam Wangchuk ends hunger strike, 23 Jul 2026
- The Federal: CJP funding row, Jul 2026
- The Hindu: CJP to release education manifesto, Jun 2026
- Indian Express: Government sees national security threat in CJP handle, May 2026
- LiveLaw: Delhi High Court orders unblocking of CJP's X account, 7 Jul 2026
- Indian Express: Tharoor on the CJP, May 2026
- Telegraph: Mamata, Abhishek Banerjee express full support, May 2026
- AP/PBS: Cockroach movement vows to continue after crackdown, Jul 2026
- News24: Dipke backs Rahul Gandhi on Amit Shah, Jul 2026
- NDTV: "B Team of Disruptive Elements", Jun 2026
- Frontline: CJP and Gen Z mobilisation, 2026
- Telegraph: Sukanta Majumdar's 49% claim, May 2026
- Alt News: Misleading claim of Pakistani followers, May 2026
- Decode: The claims used to discredit the CJP don't hold up, May 2026
- South First: Telangana BJP chief alleges foreign links, 2026
- The Hindu: Plea in Supreme Court to probe CJP, 2026
- Hindustan Times: Allahabad HC bins PIL against CJP, 2026
- Brut: How Delhi Police removed Sonam Wangchuk, Jul 2026
- India TV: Why Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung, 18 Jul 2026
- Khaleej Times: NEET protest updates, 24 Jul 2026
- ThePrint: What happened during CJP's Chalo Sansad, 20 Jul 2026
- Khaleej Times/Reuters: Tear gas, lathi charge at Parliament march, 20 Jul 2026
- Deccan Chronicle: Police personnel and protesters injured, 20 Jul 2026
- Free Press Journal: Sansad Chalo descends into violence, 20 Jul 2026
- BOOM: Batons with nails, police call real video fake, 22 Jul 2026
- ANI: Police confirm targeting of personnel, 23 Jul 2026
- Outlook: Delhi Police ordered RAF to fire pellet guns, GD entry, Jul 2026
- Newsreel Asia: CJP protests, latest developments, 27 Jul 2026
- Al Jazeera: What the Amnesty report reveals, 24 Aug 2026
- Human Rights Watch: Excessive force used against student protesters, 23 Jul 2026
- Free Press Journal: No adverse action against CJP protesters, 30 Jul 2026
- The Statesman: Police claim FRS flagged 2,000+, Jul 2026
- The Statesman: Times Now reporter Dev Kotak attacked, Jul 2026
- Newslaundry: From "Godi media" taunts to assault, 22 Jul 2026
- Scroll: Editors Guild on attacks on media persons, 23 Jul 2026
- Khaleej Times/Reuters: What led to Pradhan's downfall, 25 Jul 2026
- Khaleej Times: Who is Pralhad Joshi, 26 Jul 2026
- Kuwait Times/Reuters: Cockroach movement hardens stance on poll chief, Sep 2026
- Careers360: Parliament passes anti-paper leak bill, 30 Jul 2026
- The Week: Supreme Court on pellet-gun SOP, 30 Jul 2026
- DT Next: No adverse action against CJP protesters, 30 Jul 2026
- RANE: What's next for India's cockroach youth movement, 26 Aug 2026
- Al Jazeera: Cockroach movement demands election chief's resignation, 25 Sep 2026
- Business Today: Dipke says Gyanesh Kumar must resign, 24 Sep 2026
- Al Jazeera: Authorities clamp down as cockroach movement launches new protests, 2 Oct 2026
- India TV: Police deny permission for 10 October protest, 9 Oct 2026
- Organiser: Viral video claims Oslo, Soros links, 5 Oct 2026
- ThePrint: My US studies funded by scholarship, education loan, 3 Aug 2026
- The Federal: Dipke dares "emperor" to reveal degree, Aug 2026
- Aaj Tak: Dhruv Rathee at Bengaluru CJP SIR protest, 7 Oct 2026
- Oneindia: "Not here for regime change", Rathee, 8 Oct 2026
- Newschecker: Edited video of Dhruv Rathee "exposing" CJP, 2026