New Delhi: Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijith Deepke said the movement owed its origins to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's controversial "cockroaches" remark, asserting that he would never have returned to India or launched the agitation had the comment not been made.
“I would like to thank CJI Surya Kant. If he hadn't called us cockroaches, I wouldn't have come to India. This movement would not have started,” Hindustan Times quoted.
Speaking to supporters and the media in New Delhi, Deepke traced the origins of the campaign that began as a social media movement and eventually culminated in the resignation of a Union minister after 35 days of sustained protests.
The controversy dates back to May 15, when Chief Justice Surya Kant, while hearing a case related to the designation of senior advocates in the Supreme Court, made remarks referring to a section of unemployed young lawyers as "cockroaches". The comments triggered widespread outrage on social media, with lakhs of students and job aspirants expressing anger and disappointment. Although the Chief Justice later clarified that the remarks were directed at those holding fake law degrees and had been misinterpreted by sections of the media, the backlash continued.
Among those who reacted strongly was Abhijith Deepke, then pursuing higher studies in Boston, United States. A former communications strategist for the Aam Aadmi Party, he announced the formation of the Cockroach Janata Party through a satirical post on X on May 16, describing it as a platform for everyone mocked as "cockroaches".
What began as an online satire soon transformed into a full-fledged protest movement after the NEET-UG paper leak came to light. Deepke returned to India in early June, putting his studies on hold, and took charge of the agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. With lakhs of students affected by the alleged paper leak, the movement evolved from a symbolic online campaign into what supporters described as a powerful student-led struggle against injustice.
The agitation continued for 35 days before the Centre was forced to accept Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. According to Deepke, the same people who had been ridiculed as "cockroaches" ultimately united to shake the country and compel the resignation of a Union minister, marking what he described as a rare chapter in India's history of public protests.