What Was Abhijit Deepak Doing Before Founding the Cockroach People’s Party?

After editorial review of news summaries, Abhijit Deepak, the founder of the Cockroach People’s Party (CPP), has issued a nationwide warning to protest demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The party emerged following a satirical campaign on social media sparked by comments made by Indian Supreme Court Justice Suryakant. More than 200,000 people have registered their membership with this campaign, which raises issues of employment and education.

On 25 Jestha in Kathmandu, Abhijit Deepak, CPP’s founder, declared plans to organize protests across various cities in India along with youth, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a video message, Deepak warned that unless Pradhan resigns by the upcoming Saturday, they would mobilize the youth nationwide for a massive protest in Delhi. Earlier, CPP held a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar despite extreme heat, drawing hundreds of young participants. The campaign’s sudden rise as a voice for youth on education, employment, and exam paper leaks has become a major subject of discussion.

In a recent interview with the media, Deepak stated that if Pradhan doesn’t resign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi must remove him from his position. Speaking at Jantar Mantar, he asserted, “Within just a day or two, millions of students will join us. The Cockroach People’s Party was not established according to any prior plan; this is the voice of every frustrated student due to the government’s failures.”

He further added, “For the past 10 to 12 years, the government has kept us trapped in Hindu-Muslim politics—who has benefited from it? Has anyone gained employment through religious politics?”

Who is Abhijit Deepak?

Following the party’s formation, Abhijit Deepak has become a notable figure in Indian political discourse, although he has not officially registered any political party. He first gained attention through a satirical campaign on memes and social media.

The 30-year-old Deepak hails from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra but has been residing in the United States for the last two years. In a conversation with BBC Marathi, he mentioned graduating from Pune and spending nearly three years affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), where he worked with the party’s communication team. He recalled, “I worked with them for some time, then felt the need to pursue further education, so I prepared for my master’s degree at home. Later, I was invited by Boston University.”

Deepak completed his postgraduate studies in Public Relations at Boston University. According to the English-language newspaper The Hindu, he worked in AAP’s social media team from 2020 to 2023. A source within AAP revealed that Deepak was part of the Mumbai team and had returned to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in 2023. He said, “I was impressed by their work in health and education sectors. It was the first time in Indian politics to witness something innovative like today’s Cockroach People’s Party. I worked with them for some time before deciding to continue my studies from home.”

What was Deepak involved with before forming CPP?

Before founding the party, Deepak was already active on social media. His earlier posts on X (formerly Twitter) reflect his political views, frequently sharing content related to AAP president Arvind Kejriwal. Social media clearly shows Deepak positioning himself in support of Kejriwal while expressing views on issues pertaining to Indian citizens.

He has shared numerous posts about leaks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination papers and related student fatalities. Additionally, he has commented on rising petrol and diesel prices and questioned the India-US trade deal. He has also made remarks about India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In recent posts, Deepak has criticized the Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including commentary on the India-US trade agreement and images of BJP leaders eating during West Bengal elections. He has accused regional parties of trying to prevent BJP from securing a clear majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and mentioned plans to dismantle some of those parties.

How did CPP’s journey begin?

CPP’s journey began with satire and humor centered around a comment by Chief Justice Suryakant of India’s Supreme Court. The justice had referred to unemployed youth as “cockroaches” (kakrochi) and parasites, which many opposed. Later, Justice Suryakant clarified that his remark was about fake educational certificates and accused media of misinterpretation. Nonetheless, the comment triggered a satirical campaign on social media, with Abhijit Deepak’s Cockroach People’s Party at its core.

The party now has an official website and over 22 million followers on Instagram. More than 200,000 individuals have registered as members through the website.

India’s Generation Z represents the world’s largest youth demographic, with more than half of the country’s 1.4 billion population under 30 years of age. However, youth participation in formal politics remains limited. Deepak observes, “People are frustrated because they feel unheard and underrepresented.”

Recent years in South Asia—including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—have seen large youth-led protests driven by unemployment, inflation, and concerns about the future. Following surging youth movements in Nepal, governments have resigned. Comparing Indian youth with those in Sri Lanka and Nepal, Deepak says, “It is a great insult to compare Indian youth with Generation Z of other countries because Indian youth have not instigated violence.”

He added, “The younger generation is fed up with the current political system. In the coming years, youth will demand change because the country has heard nothing besides Hindu-Muslim politics for over a decade.”

Deepak firmly believes, “Youth want to transform this system—a place where we are technically proficient and everyone has a job. We should compare ourselves with the best countries of the world. How long will we keep comparing only with Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh? That is the desire of Indian youth, and they do not want to be treated like cockroaches anymore.”