Taking a swipe at the Cockroach Janta Party, BJP president Nitin Nabin accused people sitting abroad of attempting to drag Indian youth into negative politics.
Hours after the Cockroach Jantana Party concluded first on-ground agitation, BJP president Nitin Nabin took a sharp swipe at the collective, saying the country’s youth would not become puppets in the hands of those seeking to drag them into negative politics.
Addressing an interaction with intellectuals in Ranchi, Nabin said India’s youth were focused on nation-building and securing their future, asserting that no one could dictate the direction of the country’s young generation, though he did not directly name the Cockroach Party.
“Today’s youth wants to work for nation-building and secure their future. But some people have labelled the youth of this country as anti-establishment. To those who want to drag India’s youth into negative politics, I want to warn them that the youth of this country will engage in positive politics,” he said.
Without naming US-based Cockroach Party chief Abjijeet Dipke, Nabin added, “Some people sitting abroad think they can dictate the direction of India’s youth.”
“But the youth of India will not move forward as puppets in the hands of a few people,” he asserted.
The remarks came hours after the Cockroach Janta Party held its first on-ground protest, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in entrance and recruitment examinations.
Nabin said people had the democratic right to oppose the government, but such opposition must remain within democratic norms.
“We will oppose on the basis of democracy, but we will not allow democratic standards to be destroyed,” he said.
Highlighting the achievements of the youth, the BJP leader said India’s young generation was known for innovation and creation.
“Because of their dedication, hard work and efforts, around two lakh startups have come up. The country aims to become a global IT hub,” he said.
Referring to anti-government campaigns witnessed in neighbouring countries, Nabin said such politics would not appeal to Indian youth.
“The anti-establishment campaigns we witnessed in our neighbouring countries can never be for the country’s youths, who will work in a disciplined manner to build the nation,” he said.
COCKROACHES HIT DELHI STREETS
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, including the NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC examinations.
The youth-led political collective emerged through online mobilisation, running campaigns centred on unemployment, corruption and governance issues. The movement is widely seen as a response to remarks by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, who had reportedly compared certain confrontational activists and unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”.
Protesters carrying placards demanding Pradhan’s resignation were seen wearing cockroach masks distributed at the venue. Apart from seeking the minister’s resignation, demonstrators also raised slogans against what they described as the BJP’s “Hindu-Muslim politics” and chanted “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. Several school students were also seen participating in the protest along with their parents.
The protest gathered momentum after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke called for the agitation and arrived in Delhi from the United States on Saturday morning. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the protest in Delhi.
At a press conference later, CJP spokespersons announced that they will wait for a week either for the Centre to sack Pradhan or his voluntary resignation, after which they would launch a countrywide protest.
OPPOSITION PARTIES RALLY BEHIND CJP PROTEST
The protest by the youth collective witnessed solidarity and support from activists and several opposition parties, though Congress maintained a cautious distance despite some of its leaders expressing support.
Prominent parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with which Dipke was associated in the past, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Left parties, extended support to the Cockroach Janta Party.
“The cockroach movement is an expression of the huge anger and frustration experienced by the youth of this country. Rather than terming them anti-national, Modi govt should address their issues. AAP supports their demands. The Prime Minister must sack the education minister immediately,” AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X.
Dipke was a key member of AAP’s core social media team before moving to the United States for higher education. He played a pivotal role in steering the party’s social media campaign during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, which AAP won by a landslide.
Voicing support for the protest, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “These voices must reach the arrogant rulers, now that the youth too have sparked a revolution,” while sharing a news clip carrying anti-government voices from the gathering.
In a statement, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray described the CJP protesters as “the destiny-makers and future of the country”.