India's Cockroach Janata Party Gains Millions of Followers

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was founded on 16 May 2026 after Chief Justice Surya Kant described unemployed youth as "cockroaches". Student and political strategist Abhijeet Dipke launched the movement, branding it as a platform for the "lazy & unemployed". Within 78 hours its Instagram account reached three million followers, surpassing ten million in under five days and exceeding twenty million by late May; it also attracted over 200 000 followers on X and registered more than 350 000 members.

CJP demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, blaming the government for cancelling the NEET entrance exam after a paper‑leak scandal. The movement held its first press conference on 3 June, and organised a large rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 6 June, giving the minister a week to step down. While not formally a registered party, the group has become a high‑profile youth protest platform.

Separately, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju announced the launch of his own satirical "Ishq Karo Party", urging young Indians to "Make Love Not War" and positioning his initiative as an alternative to the CJP.