India’s ‘cockroach’ movement seeks to restore culture of accountability

India’s Cockroach Janta Party is a youth movement demanding political accountability, employment and fair elections.

The founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, says its goal is to restore the culture of accountability in the Indian government.

The movement, which started as online political satire, has become a major force demanding political and social change.

The CJP burst onto the political scene in May, mobilising thousands of young people to protest against exam paper leaks, unemployment and the high cost of living. Weeks later, the education minister resigned.

Now protesters have turned their attention to the chief election commissioner. They want him out.

Opposition parties and the CJP accuse India’s electoral body of manipulating voter lists in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party. The commission denies any wrongdoing. It says it was removing deceased, duplicate and ineligible voters.

The BJP has accused demonstrators of sowing chaos and trying to undermine democracy.

Dipke says that’s not true. He says the CJP wants a better India – better education, more job opportunities, free and fair elections, and for the government to stop ignoring young people.

He admits it’s a difficult fight. Several CJP leaders, including our guest, have been arrested.

But Dipke says the movement will not be shaken.