Who called for the Bengaluru ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ protest? Abhijeet Dipke alleges conspiracy to 'demonise' movement
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Who called for the Bengaluru ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ protest? Abhijeet Dipke alleges conspiracy to 'demonise' movement")
‘Not our protest’: Cockroach Janta Party responds to viral Bengaluru gathering poster Photograph: (WION Web Desk)
Cockroach Janta Party says it never called for Bengaluru street protest. As police warn people against gathering near Town Hall, founder Abhijeet Dipke claims fake protest posters are being circulated to "demonise" the viral movement.
What exactly is happening? Scroll down to read more.
Abhijeet Dipke, the man behind the viral political satire movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Sunday (May 24) denied reports that the party has called for a "peaceful human chain" near Town Hall in Bengaluru. This comes as Bengaluru Police on Friday (May 22) warned people against gathering near Town Hall after a protest call linked to the viral "Cockroach Janta Party" began circulating widely on social media. The message, shared under the banner of "Cockroach Janta Party Karnataka," called for a "peaceful human chain" on May 24. The poster urged supporters to "demonstrate our power" and claimed it was "time to show power in the streets, not just online."
Strategy to demonise the Cockroach Janta Party?
Even before the call could gain momentum, the satirical movement itself appeared to distance itself from any planned demonstration. A video message posted from the Cockroach Janta Party handle on Instagram said: "Cockroach Janta Party has not given any call for protest. Please be careful. They are waiting for just one mishap to demonise our movement."
The clarification came amid growing attention around the online movement, which has rapidly gained followers after positioning itself as a voice of frustrated youth angry over unemployment, exam paper leaks and political accountability. A poster purportedly by the CJP being shared online read: "All cockroaches and fans of the Cockroach Janata Party, join us to demonstrate our power and send out a message to the self-decepted administration."
It also carried the tagline, "Not just online, it’s time to show power in the streets." However, soon after the protest poster began circulating, Bengaluru City Police issued a public advisory saying no permission had been granted for any gathering or demonstration near Town Hall.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
Police also reminded citizens that protests on public roads violate existing Karnataka High Court guidelines, which direct demonstrations to be held only at Freedom Park.
"The public is advised not to knowingly or unknowingly forward or share the said message through social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, etc., and not to gather near Town Hall," Bengaluru Police said in its statement.
Bengaluru Namma Hakku protest
The poster itself featured illustrations of cockroaches marching toward Vidhana Soudha carrying placards reading "Namma Hakku" (Our Rights) and slogans encouraging people to "send out a message" to the administration.
The Cockroach Janta Party, founded earlier this month by former AAP strategist Abhijeet Dipke, emerged after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s controversial remarks referring to certain unemployed youth and fake degree holders as “cockroaches” and “parasites.” Though the CJI later clarified that his comments were directed only at people using fake qualifications, the phrase quickly exploded online and transformed into a full-fledged internet movement.
