Hundreds join protest led by India’s viral ‘cockroach’ youth movement

The mock political party with over 22 million ‌Instagram followers is the largest online expression of dissent against ⁠Narendra Modi

Hundreds of supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online joke that drew millions across India, gathered for the first time in the national capital on Saturday, taking the social media movement off screens and into its biggest real-world test yet.

The protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, marks the movement’s first foray into street politics after weeks of dominating social media feeds and news headlines, attracting millions of online followers and widespread support among young Indians.

The immediate trigger for Saturday’s protest was reported irregularity in a recent exam that has dominated headlines in India, angering a large community of students.

Hundreds of mostly young Indians gathered in the heart of Delhi’s protest zone near parliament, some with placards and cockroach masks.

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online movement, joined the protest after he landed in the capital from the United States on Saturday morning. Police had laid steel barricades at arrivals at Delhi’s international airport.