Cockroach Janata Party founder announces protest in New Delhi on return to India

MUMBAI: Abhijeet Deepke, the founder of India’s satirical online campaign “Cockroach Janata Party,” has announced that he is returning to India from the United States, where he will take his campaign beyond the confines of social media and onto the streets.

Deepke, 30, a Boston University graduate, said he plans to peacefully protest against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on Saturday.

The satirical campaign “Cockroach Janata Party,” which bears the same name as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has attracted millions of people on social media since it was launched last month.

The campaign was launched after India’s Chief Justice of India, Saryakant, allegedly called government critics “cockroaches” and “parasites,” which was later taken out of context.

Deepke, who has worked with the Aam Aadmi Party in the past, launched the online campaign on May 16, with the slogan “For the youth, by the youth”.

He wrote in a message on social media platform X that he would protest within the ambit of the Constitution after returning to India.

Renowned social activist Sonam Wangchuck has also announced his participation in the protest.

Although social media content is strictly monitored in India and some of the Cockroach Party’s accounts have been closed, its Instagram account remains active with over 22 million followers, more than the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress Party.

Deepke has appealed to her supporters not to gather at the airport as it may cause problems for the public and security agencies, and assured that the protest will be completely peaceful.