From courtroom comment to street protest: Rise of the CJP

NEW DELHI: The term "cockroach," which later became the identity of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), traces its origin to a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The comment was made on May 15 during a hearing related to the designation of senior advocates in the Delhi High Court.

During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that unemployed youth had become "cockroaches" attacking the system. A section of Gen Z youth embraced the remark, declaring, "Yes, we are cockroaches, and we will sweep away this system." What began as an online response soon grew into a wider movement.

The Chief Justice also said that such people were attacking everyone through the media and social media, describing them as activists targeting institutions of governance.

Soon afterwards, student leader Abhijeet Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The movement quickly gained momentum on social media, where supporters adopted the "cockroach" identity and expanded their campaign.

The protests eventually moved from social media to the streets. The group succeeded in forcing a discussion on its demands in Parliament and later secured the Centre's acceptance of those demands. The agitation also led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. At one stage, the movement also put sections of the media under intense scrutiny through its sustained campaign.

The widespread support the movement received on social media helped it grow rapidly. As the protests gathered momentum, Chief Justice Surya Kant later clarified that his remarks had been taken out of context and that he was referring only to people with fake degrees.

The Chief Justice reiterated his clarification on Saturday. However, by then, the "Cockroach Revolution" had gathered significant momentum. The protesters were further angered when, during a court hearing, a lawyer raised concerns about police action against the demonstrators and the Chief Justice reportedly responded by saying the court's time should not be wasted.