The creator of the new Indian party known as “the people of the cockroaches”, recently created in reaction to the remarks of a magistrate deemed contemptuous of the youth, announced on Monday his arrival this week in the capital New Delhi and the organization of a demonstration.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) made a high profile appearance in Indian politics and on social media earlier this month following statements by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
During a hearing, the magistrate allegedly described young people who criticize the government as “cockroaches” and “parasites”. He then justified himself by saying that he was targeting those who use false diplomas.
Student in political communications at Boston University (United States), Abhijeet Dipke, 30, reacted by immediately creating the CJP, whose three letters refer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian nationalist party) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His slogan – “a political front of youth, by youth, for youth” – instantly went viral, particularly on the Instagram platform where he now has 22 million subscribers.
Multiple blocked accounts
Several of his accounts have been blocked on social networks in India, on government orders.
In a message published on Monday, Mr. Dipke, who worked for the Indian opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), announced his return to India and called on his supporters to rally on June 6 in the capital to demand the resignation of the education minister.
The minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has been fiercely criticized in recent weeks, being held responsible for numerous irregularities that occurred during university exams.
“Students committed suicide and the hard work of hundreds of thousands of them destroyed,” he accused, meeting his supporters at New Delhi airport.
“I want to believe that our country remains a democracy and that I will obtain authorization to demonstrate,” added Mr. Dipke.
In power since 2014, Narendra Modi is regularly accused by the opposition and civil society of repressing all protests in the country.
