By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Despite Narendra Modi led government’s efforts to abort the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) from its conception in virtual world of social media through ban and takedown orders, it ultimately took birth in the physical world, and even organised a huge protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 6, 2026 in which thousands of youths participated. From the very site, CJP demanded accountability from the Union Government for serious lapses in examinations and resignation from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan or be dismissed within seven days, failing which threatened nationwide protests.
Taking birth against the will of the government and challenging it, in itself, suggest its irresistibility, given the background that Government had referred to it as a national security threat conveyed to it by its intelligence wing, on the basis of which it had asked CJP’s Social Media account on X to be taken down, within four days of its launch on May 16.
On May 15, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had referred to “unemployed” as cockroaches and CJP was launched as reaction. Justice Surya Kant had afterwards given clarification that he meant those who had “fake and bogus degrees”, but it failed to pacify the youths. The virtual movement started as satirical platform grew fast with its membership in millions, even double than the BJP’s membership, before its X handle was taken down by government orders.
Why the Modi government’s ban and Justice Surya Kant’s clarification failed? The disturbing reality lies in the answer of this question. One of the answers is the lost illusions of the youths regarding the credibility of the Judiciary and the executive both. Even judiciary is seen degenerating, taking supervisory roles to facilitate the government plans, and delivering judgements only after the works are done as the government wished.
The case in point was the SIR in relation to Bihar, which was announced by ECI on June 24, 2025, subsequently challenged in Supreme Court, but the apex court gave priority to and acquired a supervisory role for facilitating it until elections were held and result were out on November 14, 2025. Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant was sitting over the final judgement, and in the meantime, he referred to the word “cockroach” on May 15. It worked as trigger for launching the CJP.
It must be recalled that Justice Surya Kant’s Bench delivered final judgement on SIR on May 27, 2026, in which it supporting the ECI’s role in conducting SIR. In the meantime, SIR was also facilitated in several other states including West Bengal where election results were out on May 4, much before the judgement delivered. Youths see the supervisory role the Supreme Court played to facilitate the SIR, giving less priority to delivery of final judgement, which obviously presumed bona fide of the ECI and the Union Government before the Supreme Court came itself reached to its final conclusion and judgement delivered. Here lies the reason why Surya Kant’s clarification has no takers from the youth, who have already started the cockroach movement.
Perhaps, the judiciary and the executive, have taken note of the anger of the youth in the country. A petition was filed against the CJP in the Supreme Court of India seeking probe into its activities, but urgent hearing was denied. As for the Modi government, despite it ordered virtual ban on their social media account, allowed the protest at Jantar Mantar. However, both the government and judiciary will now need to restore their lost credibility, by fixing accountability on various issues including irregularity in examination system of the country.
The nature of the participation of youths in the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar is worth noting. There was large presence of students, exam aspirants, unemployed youth and young professionals. There were not traditional party cadres, and hence the government will find it difficult to push its narrative that it was the handiwork of opposition political parties. The protest seems to have evolved from an online youth movement into physical mobilisation. Some student organisations and public figures were reported present at the place of protest, but the protest by and large remained apolitical. Organisers of the protest successfully projected its as a peaceful demonstration centred on education accountability and exam-related grievances.
It should be also be noted that the movement grew on the demand for accountability for NEET UG 2026 paper leak, but thereafter, several irregularities and unfair practices were reported in CUET UG and CBSE examinations, and their marking system. One of the anchors of government media said that the student who raised the grievance against CBSE was Pakistani backfired, because the student is from Delhi. Several tried to push the government narrative that there are foreign hands in the protest movement, which also failed. Some tried to push a narrative Muslim angle, but it also failed because Muslim organisations are appealing their youth to keep away from the movement or else they will be haunted by the government.
Therefore, the course of events, are giving a particular shape to the Cockroach Movement, which goes beyond the demand for resignation or removal of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement has moved from social median to a visible public space, that may be politically threatening to the Modi government, though the ban order had mentioned it to be national security threat.
CJP has successfully legitimised its grievances and received national and international attentions, along with their demand for fixing accountability. It has also served a 7 day deadline for action, and threatened nationwide agitation, which may be politically highly damaging for the Modi government, which faces catch 22 situation – if removes Pradhan it would mean Modi government could be bent under pressure, and if not take action, it would signal that it does not care for the youth and their future.
Most important thing is that the accountability that CJP has been demanding goes beyond Pradhan’s resignation to encompass larger issues, such as exam credibility, recruitment processes, youth unemployment, and institutional accountability. Suppressing the movement without taking action on CJP’s demand will be disastrous for PM Narendra Modi’s image, his government’s credibility, and its political dominance in the country. (IPA Service)
