After leading nationwide student protests over examination irregularities, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is preparing to expand its movement beyond street demonstrations. The group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, along with spokespersons Saurav Das and Vaishnavi Gaur, will hold an important meeting in Maharashtra to decide the organisation's next steps. The leadership said the movement now aims to build a stronger grassroots presence instead of turning into a conventional political party.
CJP Focuses on Social Change
During a media interaction on Tuesday, CJP leaders said the country's problems cannot be solved simply by creating another political party. Instead, they stressed the need for a social movement that connects directly with people at the grassroots.
The youth-led satirical organisation gained national attention after leading massive protests against the alleged NEET paper leak last month. The protests eventually resulted in the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister. Following the movement's success, many supporters have questioned what CJP plans to do next.
Leadership to Finalise Future Strategy
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the upcoming meeting will focus on deciding the movement's future direction. "We were asked questions about where this movement will go after the success of the protest, and we have all come to strategise around the same. We will hold discussions over it and think about how to take it to grassroot level... When we come up with something concrete on August 6th, we will inform everyone on our future strategy," Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the CJP said.
'CJP Is a Movement, Not a Political Party'
Das made it clear that CJP does not see itself as another political party. “While there are numerous political parties, the answer to people's pain is not another political party, but an awakening on grassroot level, and this is what CJP is doing,” Das said.
He added that the organisation wants to inspire change by involving ordinary people rather than following traditional political models.
No Immediate Plan to Contest Elections
Founder Abhijeet Dipke dismissed speculation that CJP would soon enter electoral politics. Instead, he said the organisation will first consult Gen Z and understand the issues that matter most to young people before deciding its future agenda.
"The purpose will be to form the agenda for the Cockroach Janta Party and discuss how we can take this social movement forward," Dipke told Reuters.
Core Committee Meeting Begins in Maharashtra
CJP leaders and volunteers will gather for a two-day meeting starting Wednesday. The meeting will review the recent Jantar Mantar protest, discuss organisational expansion and prepare a roadmap for the future.
“Our core team members, including our spokespersons and everyone who helped us manage the protest, will be attending. All our core members will be here... As of now, we have no plans (to form a political party),” Dipke said.
Organisation Plans Nationwide Grassroots Network
The CJP now wants to build a network of workers across every district in the country. Das said the movement will continue to focus on accountability and youth-related issues.
“The movement is about accountability. The issues that we want to raise are all going to be youth-centric,” Das was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. “We want to take this movement to the grassroots because people at the grassroots face a lot of issues and nobody hears them out.”
Vaishnavi Gaur Criticises Government's Response
CJP leader Vaishnavi Gaur criticised the government's handling of recent protests. She said leaders should engage with citizens through discussions instead of imposing decisions.
"The way BJP and RSS have held other rallies recently, it is not much of a dialogue; it is dictation. So we just hope that they engage in dialogue instead of dictation. Children should not be bullied that is our hope. Otherwise, we will continue working on our youth movement," Vaishnavi told news agency ANI.
CJP Says Protest Has Reached Villages
Another CJP leader, Ratna Singh, said the impact of the movement has spread far beyond major cities. According to her, people in villages have also connected with the campaign, even if they could not attend the protests in person.
She said, "No, the RSS comes forward only to help them whenever they do, so there is no doubt about that. But whether this movement has had an impact, do you think, on voters... it definitely has, it has because just as much as you saw at Jantar Mantar, it has also had an impact in every village where people couldn't even come. So definitely..."