Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the viral satirical movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), will return to India on June 6 to launch a peaceful protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over issues related to NEET, CBSE and CUET examinations.
Dipke said he expects to be arrested upon arrival at Delhi airport but insisted the protest would go ahead regardless. He said the movement is protected under constitutional rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.
"I will most likely be arrested at the airport," he told news agency PTI, adding that the campaign would continue pressing for accountability in the education system. He has demanded that Pradhan take "moral responsibility" and step down from office.
"We will keep asking for the resignation, and we won't stop until he resigns," he said.
The CJP founder said the protest will focus on grievances related to competitive and school-level examinations, which he claims have adversely affected millions of students.
Launched just two weeks ago as a satirical political initiative, CJP has rapidly gained traction on social media, turning Dipke into an unexpected youth-facing political voice. He said the response was far beyond anything he had imagined while he was still searching for jobs after completing a master’s degree in public relations in Boston.
Dipke said the sudden visibility of the movement resulted in job offers from multinational companies in the US and Europe, which he chose to decline in order to return to India and continue the campaign.
Describing the past fortnight as a "roller coaster ride", he said his family had expressed concern and had also received threats, but added that he remains mentally prepared for possible detention.
Despite speculation about CJP’s future, Dipke said it is too early to consider registering it as a political party. He described it instead as a “political youth movement” aimed at reshaping political discourse around unemployment, inflation and education-related concerns.
He said the movement reflects growing frustration among young Indians with both mainstream politics and established institutions.
"We are taking it one step at a time," he said, adding that decisions on the future course of the movement would be taken after consultations with supporters and registered members following his return.
Dipke also clarified that while he had worked with the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023, the current movement is fully independent and not aligned with any political party.
He added that no opposition leader had contacted him personally, though he welcomed broader support for the cause.
CJP supporters have been invited to gather at Delhi airport on June 6 when he arrives in India.
(With inputs from PTI)