Thirty-year-old Abhijeet Deepke has emerged as the central figure behind an unexpected wave of change witnessed recently across India’s political and educational landscape. Recognized nationwide as a digital communication strategist and socio-political activist, he has become a voice for unemployed youth and students. The satirical political movement he launched, the “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP), aimed at highlighting central government policies, lapses in examination administration, and flaws within the education system, has now become a major talking point across the country.
Abhijeet Deepke was born into an ordinary Dalit family in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. His grandfather was an ordinary farmer, and his father too rose up amid severe poverty and hardship. His Bahujan social background and Dalit identity left a strong imprint on his thinking and political outlook. From a young age, he closely observed inequalities within society and the marginalization in access to education and employment opportunities, growing up while nurturing his social consciousness.
Demonstrating academic excellence, Abhijeet completed his graduation in journalism at a renowned institution in Pune, Maharashtra. He subsequently moved to the United States for higher studies, driven by his interest in digital media and public relations, where he successfully completed a master’s degree in Public Relations (PR) at the globally renowned Boston University. This education gave him a thorough understanding of global communication strategies.
Abhijeet Deepke has extensive experience in social media and political strategy design. From 2020 to 2023, he worked as a key volunteer and creative strategist within the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) social media wing. In particular, during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, he played a key role in designing digital campaign strategies built around memes, political satire, and humor to engage young voters. Although he is currently not affiliated with any political party, that experience later proved useful in helping him build a large-scale public movement.
In May 2026, the leak of NEET entrance examination question papers in India threw the lives of lakhs of students into distress. Around the same time, in protest against certain controversial remarks made by a Supreme Court judge (even though a clarification was later issued), Abhijeet launched a satirical political platform on digital media called the “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP). Beginning under the tagline “voice of the lazy, unemployed youth,” this movement drew particular attention from the country’s Gen-Z and unemployed youth.
Within just a matter of days, this digital campaign turned into a wave. A dedicated satirical website and an anthem song were released using AI tools, and the CJP’s Instagram page set a record by gaining 11.9 million followers in just 5 days. In the days that followed, this number grew to over 25 million. Through political satire, reels, and memes, CJP succeeded fully in bringing the intense frustration experienced by students and the unemployed into the political space.
Noticing the movement’s immense popularity, authorities withheld CJP’s social media accounts, citing national security reasons. Even so, Abhijeet did not back down. When he arrived at Delhi airport on June 6, 2026, after completing his studies in the US, there was speculation that he could be arrested. However, amid security personnel, he emerged holding up a book written by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, peacefully declaring his protest.
A prolonged protest fast began under CJP’s leadership at Delhi’s historic Jantar Mantar. Appearing at the protest site with a beard, jeans, and a T-shirt, Abhijeet Deepke addressed the youth, calling for victory to be achieved through peaceful means. Prominent education reformer Sonam Wangchuk and others extended their support to the movement, joining Abhijeet in a hunger strike. The protests subsequently spread to major cities across the country, including Mumbai.
During this prolonged struggle, Abhijeet Deepke faced severe criticism and even physical attacks. During one protest speech, a woman threw blue ink at him in an apparent attack, and he posted a video of the incident captioned “Blue is my colour.” This served as a statement affirming the significance of the color blue associated with the Ambedkarite movement and his own social roots. He made clear that, regardless of any threats, the struggle would not stop until justice was delivered to students.
As the movement intensified further, CJP supporters organized a massive “Sansad Chalo” (March to Parliament) march through the streets of Delhi, demanding the immediate resignation of the Union Education Minister, taking responsibility for the NEET leak, and comprehensive reforms to the education system. After nearly 48 hours on hunger strike, Abhijeet ended his fast on July 20 and held talks with a government delegation led by Union Minister J.P. Nadda, submitting their proposals and a memorandum of demands.
The prolonged 36-day struggle finally bore fruit. Recognizing the intensity of the student protests, the Centre agreed to the resignation of the Education Minister, taking responsibility for the NEET controversy, the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters, and compensation for affected families. With the government’s assurance of sweeping reforms to educational examinations, CJP effectively achieved victory in this historic struggle.
Having begun as an ordinary social media platform and, within an extremely short span, become the voice of lakhs of students and unemployed youth across the country, eventually reaching the streets leading to Parliament, the journey of the Cockroach Janata Party marks a new chapter in Indian politics. Rising from a Dalit background, pursuing higher education in the United States, and using digital media strategy to pressure the Central Government, Abhijeet Deepke has established himself as one of the most influential leaders among today’s generation of young political strategists.