Former UK minister Rory Stewart has said the youth-led protests surrounding the Cockroach Janta Party could mark the start of a political upheaval in India resembling the movement that removed Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina from power.
Speaking during a podcast discussion on international politics, Stewart argued that governments appearing firmly entrenched could lose authority rapidly when public anger combines with organised street mobilisation. He pointed to Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for more than 15 years before fleeing the country in August 2024 after weeks of student-led protests and a deadly security crackdown.
“I think this could be the beginning of a Bangladesh-like situation,” Stewart said. “Remember, Sheikh Hasina also appeared very strong and invincible, but she was eventually removed from power.”
His intervention has brought wider international attention to the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical online initiative that developed into a youth pressure group campaigning over examination irregularities, paper leaks, unemployment and weaknesses in the education system.
The movement was founded by Abhijeet Dipke after remarks made during Supreme Court proceedings triggered an online backlash. Young social media users adopted the cockroach symbol as an expression of resistance, turning language considered insulting into a political identity.
What began as digital satire moved on to the streets on June 6, when supporters assembled at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The campaign later expanded, drawing students and jobseekers angered by the repeated disruption of competitive examinations and the financial burden imposed on families.
The protests gained greater political weight in July as crowds gathered in central Delhi and opposition figures joined parts of the agitation. Clashes between demonstrators and police left more than 100 police personnel injured, while protesters reported injuries, detentions and excessive force.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan subsequently resigned after sustained pressure over the examination crisis. The government also opened talks with representatives of the movement and offered assurances concerning action against peaceful protesters. The CJP later suspended its nationwide agitation, although disagreements continued over police cases and alleged detentions.
Delhi authorities have said peaceful participants will not face adverse legal action, while maintaining that people accused of criminal offences will remain subject to investigation. The organisation has urged the Centre and BJP-led states to withdraw cases linked solely to participation in the demonstrations.
The Bangladesh comparison is politically striking but involves substantially different circumstances. Hasina’s removal followed a rapid escalation from protests over public-sector job quotas into a broad revolt against her administration. Hundreds of people were killed during the unrest, and the military assumed a central role in managing the transfer of power after she left Dhaka for India.
India retains a competitive electoral system, a federal structure, powerful state governments and a broader range of institutional and political actors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party also commands a nationwide organisation and remains the largest force in Parliament, despite losing its single-party majority in the 2024 general election.
The CJP, meanwhile, has ruled out becoming a registered political party. Its leadership has described the campaign as a pressure movement rather than an electoral organisation, arguing that formal entry into politics could reduce its ability to attract supporters from different ideological backgrounds.
Dipke and other organisers are expected to focus on expanding their network beyond New Delhi. A strategy meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has been planned to determine the movement’s next phase, including outreach on examination reforms, employment and institutional accountability.
The BJP has sought to distinguish between legitimate concerns among young people and what it describes as attempts to divert them towards negative politics. Party leaders have emphasised government programmes on skills, entrepreneurship and public recruitment while acknowledging the need to protect the integrity of competitive examinations.
Youth unemployment remains a significant source of political pressure. Competition for government posts is intense, and examination delays or cancellations can erase years of preparation for candidates whose families have spent heavily on coaching, accommodation and application fees.
The CJP’s rapid growth has demonstrated how online humour, symbols and short-form videos can create a political network outside conventional party structures. It has also shown that movements without formal membership rolls or regional offices can mobilise supporters quickly when their message connects with shared economic frustrations.
