When Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's "cockroach" remark made headlines, few could have predicted that it would evolve into a movement.
Presiding over a Supreme Court bench, Surya Kant said that some people with fake degrees who fail to find jobs become "like cockroaches", turning to social media, journalism and RTI activism to "attack the system". He called such individuals "parasites of society". The remarks were widely interpreted as targeting unemployed youth and triggered a backlash. Surya Kant later clarified that his comments were directed at people using fake degrees, not young Indians as a whole.
These were not words spoken by a politician at an election rally or by a television anchor in a prime-time debate. They were spoken by one of the country's highest judicial authorities.
On 16 May, 30-year-old Abhijit Dipke posted a Google Form on X inviting people to register for the Cockroach Janata Party, a satirical political outfit born in response to the controversy.
Weeks later, on 6 June, hundreds gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar under the Cockroach Janata Party banner.
Instead of rejecting the label, supporters embraced it.
For them, the cockroach became a symbol of resistance against exam leaks, recruitment delays and a lack of accountability.
That frustration eventually spilled onto the streets of Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
ALSO READ: Who Is Abhijit Dipke? The Brain Behind The Cockroach Janta Party Movement
From The Airport To Jantar Mantar
The day began at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Supporters, media crews and police personnel gathered to welcome Abhijit Dipke before heading to Jantar Mantar.
As the protest got underway, people arrived from Jaipur, Hyderabad, Gorakhpur and other cities.
The crowd was not made up of students alone.
IIT graduates, law students, professionals, parents and retirees joined them. Many carried handmade posters and wore CJP T-shirts.
The immediate trigger was the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak.
Protesters demanded accountability, reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Students spoke about paper leaks, cancelled tests and a growing loss of trust in institutions. Many argued that examinations shaping careers must be conducted fairly and transparently.
Farmers said they had travelled to support students. Older participants said they were standing up for their children's future.
For a few hours, Jantar Mantar became a gathering point for people united by concerns over education, employment and accountability.
ALSO WATCH: From meme page to Jantar Mantar: CJP's first protest demands Education Minister’s resignation
The Moment Abhijit Dipke Took The Stage
As the crowd waited in the Delhi heat, anticipation grew around Dipke's arrival.
When he finally addressed supporters, he leaned into the movement's unusual symbol.
"If we're cockroaches, cockroaches are where something's rotten," he told the crowd, suggesting that the protests reflected deeper problems within the system.
The statement drew cheers from supporters who had spent hours waiting for him to speak.
Soon after, social activist and education reform advocate Sonam Wangchuk also arrived, further energising the gathering.
By late afternoon, the crowd slowly dispersed. Police personnel began packing up and supporters started heading home.
But the conversations continued.
ALSO WATCH: Brut speaks to the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party
ALSO WATCH: Some glimpses of the Cockroach Janta Party protest, which Brut covered on the spot.
