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“If standing against a broken system makes me a cockroach, then I accept being called a cockroach,” Beauty Giri, 25, told Newsweek among thousands of protesters at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, a historic protest ground.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was only launched online in May as a satirical movement reflecting anger among youth over unemployment and political neglect, but its protests now draw thousands of people and have broadened. Police used teargas and batons on New Delhi’s streets to stop their unauthorized march to parliament on Monday.
The group has become an outlet for frustration over education reform, unemployment, alleged corruption and institutional accountability in a growing challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party after 12 years of his power.
The CJP’s name comes from a comparison India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant made between unemployed young people and cockroaches. Its protests mirror Gen Z street movements that have sprung up over the past two years from Bangladesh and Nepal to Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco and Mexico.
“I don’t think this is an isolated moment,” said Kapil Sibal, a senior advocate and independent Rajya Sabha MP, who has been a vocal critic of Modi and the BJP and is representing hunger-striking environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is part of the new movement. “There is a general level of disenchantment in the country,” he told Newsweek.
The prime minister’s office and education ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Health Minister J.P. Nadda met representatives of the movement on Monday and said he would raise their demands within the government, according to Indian media, marking the first sign of official engagement.
While the protests indicate some disenchantment, Modi and the BJP retain a strong hold on power. Despite losing an absolute majority in 2024 parliamentary elections, the party bounced back in state elections earlier this year.
Last month, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the CJP as a “B team of disruptive elements,” saying: “Those who were rejected in the democracy have come in disguise and are now after the system.”
Anger over Indian entrance exam
At the heart of the protesters’ anger is the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), India’s entrance examination for undergraduate medical education. More than 2.3 million students take the exam every year, competing for a limited number of medical college seats.
Allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities have shaken students’ faith in the system, triggering cancellations, legal challenges and renewed scrutiny of the testing process. India has seen repeated reports of NEET-linked student suicides, with families and experts pointing to the intense pressure surrounding the exam and, more recently, the disruption caused by paper leak controversies.
An investigation by The Indian Express said it had identified 45 major paper leak cases between 2002 and 2025.
“We’ve seen so many paper leaks, but nothing really changes,” Giri said. “People don’t even check the backgrounds of the politicians they elect. The people responsible for these paper leaks eventually end up in positions of power.”
Protesters in Delhi held placards reading “Resign Education Minister” and “Stop Paper Leaks,” as people moved through the crowd passing around water bottles and hand fans to help others cope with Delhi’s humid heat.
Demonstrations have intensified since environmental activist Wangchuk joined the movement and began a hunger strike, demanding the resignation of the education minister. After 20 days without food, police removed Wangchuk to hospital, citing concerns about his deteriorating health. Protest organizers condemned the move as forcible and he has vowed to continue the fast.
Among the protesters was Kripa Shankar Vishwakarma, 27, a former student who spent the past 14 months cycling across India to promote natural farming before travelling to Delhi.
“The youth of this country are becoming aware,” he said. “Those who have been in politics for decades have had enough time. Now it is time to give young people a chance.”
As demonstrators tried to move towards parliament on Monday, police erected barricades and used batons and tear gas to disperse sections of the crowd, while some protesters continued marching in smaller groups.
The protests matter beyond India, Sibal said.
“India is the world’s largest democracy and a natural partner for the West,” he said. “The international community has a stake in India’s future because of its economic potential and strategic importance. But if institutions lose public trust, that affects India’s ability to realize that potential.”
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