India's 'Cockroach' Youth Movement Threatens Nationwide Protests Unless Election Chief Resigns

Demonstrators demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during a protest rally in Kolkata [File: AFP]

India’s ‘cockroach’ party youth movement has issued an ultimatum, threatening to launch nationwide protests unless the country’s chief election officer steps down by Saturday. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), announced on Friday that demonstrations would commence in Mumbai on October 2 if Gyanesh Kumar fails to resign.

The CJP emerged as a satirical outfit on Instagram in May after India’s chief justice compared unemployed young Indians to “cockroaches” and “parasites,” and the movement has since challenged the staunchly conservative government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Thursday, the group issued a 48-hour deadline for Kumar to quit following a newspaper report connecting him to altered voter lists. Opposition parties have claimed these lists were manipulated to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India,” Dipke posted on X. “This Gandhi Jayanti let’s pledge to save democracy,” he added, referencing the October 2 holiday marking independence leader Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke celebrates with supporters in New Delhi after the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, July 25, 2026 [Ritesh Shukla/Getty]

Report provokes political storm

On Wednesday, the Indian Express newspaper reported that two election commissioners had raised questions or voiced concern with Kumar at least 14 times in 10 months, primarily regarding the voter list updating process that began last year.

In response, the main opposition Congress party announced protest marches on state election offices across India on Friday, demanding Kumar’s arrest, his removal, and an independent review of all decisions and voter-list changes made under his leadership. Opposition parties have frequently accused the commission of deleting millions of voter names without warning while adding new voters without verification to benefit the BJP.

BJP leaders and supporters at a ‘Drug-Free Punjab’ march in Amritsar [File: Narinder Nanu/AFP]

Election panel rejects claims

The Election Commission of India stated that “differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution” and maintained that all its actions were lawful. The BJP defended the commission as well, accusing the opposition of orchestrating a smear campaign due to continuous electoral losses.

“Neither the Election Commission of India nor any constitutional body in India is under dictatorial rule,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra stated on Wednesday.

Previously, CJP-led protests in July forced the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education minister over exam-paper leaks, marking one of the prime minister’s most significant political setbacks since coming to power in 2014.