For the past 12 years, India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has risen almost unimpeded. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has won election after election and built a governing coalition that dominates India’s Parliament. Over the years, Modi has cultivated an image as a strong leader who doesn’t bend to pressure. But do the recent student protests in India tell a different story? In the last few weeks, India has seen some of its largest protests in years, all calling for the resignation of India’s now ex-education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. The challenge came from an unlikely source: a satirical online movement named after a cockroach.
From a Joke to a Movement
The story starts with a courtroom comment. In May 2026, India’s Chief Justice, Surya Kant, was speaking about unemployed young people criticising judges on social media. He compared them to “cockroaches”, but little did he know that in doing so, he had unleashed a new youth movement.
Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communications strategist, turned the insult into a joke, and then into a movement. Days after the judge’s comments, Dipke launched the “Cockroach Janta Party”, as a satirical online collective. It spread rapidly, and within days it had amassed nearly 22 million followers on Instagram— more than double the BJP’s own account.
Dipke, who grew up in a Dalit family (a marginalised community within India’s caste system), said that the movement tapped into real anger. “In India, if you’re rich, the system dances at your fingertips. If you’re poor, nobody will be there for you,” he told NPR. “We’re frustrated because the government has stopped listening.”
The Protests
The satire soon turned serious. In May, India experienced a major national exam scandal withthe highly competitive and notoriously difficult NEET exam. More than 2 million students took the medical school entrance exam, only to later learn that the test questions had been leaked and circulated on messaging apps. Students were not told until two weeks after they had sat the exam, and at least a dozen students died by suicide after learning they would have to retake a test many had spent years preparing for.
In response to the leaked exam, protesters set up camp at Jantar Mantar, one of the few sites in New Delhi where the government permits large demonstrations. Their demands were simple: accountability and the resignation of the education minister. The protest was joined by Sonam Wangchuck, an Environmental activist, who went on an indefinite hunger strike in support of the protestors’ demands. On July 20, thousands of protestors tried to march towards Parliament. In response, the Delhi police responded with tear gas, baton charges and internet blackouts.
Rather than back down, the movement only grew, and five days later, on the 25th of July, the BJP was forced to concede, and the education minister finally resigned.
Why this Matters for the BJP
Pradhan’s resignation is being read by many as more than just one official losing his job—it’s a real dent to the image the BJP has spent over a decade building. The protestors were initially dismissed by politicians, labelled as “anti-national”, and accused of being funded by Pakistan. The establishment tried its hardest to put down dissent, only to find that it continued to grow. The BJP is quickly learning that its old political strategies are no longer effective, and people are starting to vent their frustration with the status quo in public protests. With high levels of unemployment, corruption, and minority oppression, the youth of India are demanding more than just token gestures— they are asking for institutional reform.
Lessons for New Zealand
Watching from my phone, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by the youth of India in their demands for change. They have demonstrated that the youth are a force to be reckoned with. Unlike India, New Zealand is fortunate to enjoy a stable democracy and low levels of corruption. However, increasingly our politicians are sidelining the needs of the youth instead of dealing with the issues that really matter. They can try their best to distract you, but it’s about time they had a serious think about what they want New Zealand to look like in the next 50 years.
Our general election is soon. Vote and make a difference.
