The spiny, long-legged, and often reviled cockroach has become an unlikely symbol of dissent, in a sharp rebuke to the ruling establishment in the world's largest democracy.

The satirical political campaign began on Saturday in response to remarks by the chief justice comparing some unemployed youngsters to ‘cockroaches’.

Online satire groups, the Cockroach Janta Party and National Parasitic Front, have surged in popularity following controversial remarks about unemployed youth. These movements,…