Abhijeet Dipke

Abhijeet Dipke (born 29 September 1995) is an Indian political communication strategist and founder of the political satire movement Cockroach Janta Party. The movement organised demonstrations including a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in June 2026. Before founding the movement, Dipke worked with the social-media team of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and served as a communications adviser to the Delhi government's education department. By July 2026, Reuters described him as the most recognisable figure in a large Gen Z-led protest movement in India.

Early life and education Dipke was born on 29 September 1995 in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. During the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, he produced meme-based digital content intended to engage younger voters. He also worked as a communications adviser to the education department of the Government of Delhi. He left the party's media team in 2023 before moving to the United States for postgraduate study. The movement initially used humour and political satire to address issues including unemployment, inflation, examination paper leaks, gender representation and media ownership. Reuters reported that it could not independently verify these allegations and that relevant government ministries had not responded to requests for comment. Initially, the "Cockroach'" movement concerned education reforms but later it grew into a broader protest to cover other issues such as unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunities. It has gained support of a number of students, professionals, and activists in India.

Protest movement

In June 2026, Dipke returned to India from Boston to lead a protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar monument. After this, Dipke led the CJP's first street demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Protesters called for the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination paper leaks and other alleged irregularities in national examinations. The demonstrations expanded during June and July, with supporters maintaining a protest camp in central Delhi. Dipke briefly undertook a hunger strike after education reformer Sonam Wangchuk was moved to hospital while fasting in support of the protesters' demands. On 20 July, thousands of protesters attempted to march towards the Parliament, despite police restrictions. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse sections of the crowd, and clashes resulted in injuries to protesters and police officers. Following the clashes, Dipke said the movement would continue its sit-in but would suspend further street marches because of concerns for participants' safety. On 25 July 2026, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister. Reuters described the campaign as one of the largest youth-led challenges faced by the government of prime minister Narendra Modi since he took office in 2014.

Views and positions Dipke has described the CJP as a platform rather than a conventional political party and has said that it is not affiliated with the AAP or another established party. In July 2026, a woman threw blue ink at Dipke while he was addressing supporters at a protest; she accused the movement of insulting the Hindu deity Rama.

Personal life Dipke lived in Boston, Massachusetts, while studying at Boston University. He returned to India in June 2026 to participate in the CJP's demonstrations. Following the movement's rapid growth, his parents publicly expressed concern about the personal risks associated with his political activism.