India's 'Cockroach' youth group plans street protest in challenge to Modi

NEW DELHI, Jun 1:  The founder of an online Indian youth group that has amassed millions of followers in days said on Monday he plans to take his movement on to the streets with a protest against the education minister and in a show of dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Cockroach Janta Party has tapped into the concerns of the under-30s, who are estimated to make up more than half of India's 1.42 billion population, over politics, unemployment and inflation. Founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is based in the U.S., has focused in particular on recent leaks of exam papers and errors in marking final-year school exams that threaten to derail the careers of millions of students.

"I will be returning to India to demand the resignation of the education minister," Dipke said on his personal account on X, urging young people to join a peaceful protest in Delhi and "exercise our constitutional right to seek accountability from the government."

He said nearly 800,000 students have signed a petition seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The minister and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The CJP's rapid rise marks one of the largest online expressions of dissent against Modi's 12-year rule, and analysts say it could dent his image despite recent state election victories, as frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages linked to the Iran war.    �"REUTERS