Last month, the chief justice of India’s Supreme Court inadvertently set a movement into motion. During a May 15 hearing, Surya Kant described the country’s unemployed youth as “like cockroaches” and “parasites of society.” The remarks led Abhijeet Dipke, a recent Boston University graduate, to post a sardonically on X: “What if all cockroaches come together?”
Now, Dipke is headed home to New Delhi, where he plans to hold a public rally on June 6. His post tapped into an undercurrent of discontent, quickly gaining widespread support. Emboldened, Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party, a riff on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Within days, the satirical party’s Instagram account had more followers than the BJP or the opposition Indian National Congress (INC). That count now stands at more than 20 million.
Last month, the chief justice of India’s Supreme Court inadvertently set a movement into motion. During a May 15 hearing, Surya Kant described the country’s unemployed youth as “like cockroaches” and “parasites of society.” The remarks led Abhijeet Dipke, a recent Boston University graduate, to post a sardonically on X: “What if all cockroaches come together?”
Now, Dipke is headed home to New Delhi, where he plans to hold a public rally on June 6. His post tapped into an undercurrent of discontent, quickly gaining widespread support. Emboldened, Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party, a riff on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Within days, the satirical party’s Instagram account had more followers than the BJP or the opposition Indian National Congress (INC). That count now stands at more than 20 million.
