India's Chief Justice Surya Kant sparked outrage last week by calling unemployed youth 'cockroaches' and 'parasites' during a court hearing. He later clarified his remarks, but the damage was done, igniting a firestorm among Gen Z Indians already frustrated with high unemployment and inflation.

Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate, jokingly proposed a 'Cockroach Janta Party' on X, a pun on Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Within days, the satirical party's Instagram account amassed over 3 million followers, and more than 350,000 people signed up via a Google form.

The party's membership criteria include being unemployed, lazy, chronically online, and able to rant professionally. Its motto: 'A political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth. Secular – Socialist – Democratic – Lazy.'

Prominent opposition figures like MP Mahua Moitra and former MP Kirti Azad have joined. Retired bureaucrat Ashish Joshi called the party 'a breath of fresh air' in a climate of fear and hatred.

India produces over 8 million graduates annually, yet unemployment among them stands at 29.1%. More than a quarter of India's population is Gen Z, the largest such cohort globally.

Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said the chief justice's comments reflect the government's 'deep-rooted prejudice' against youth and activists. He accused the system of bleeding for the benefit of crony capitalists like Ambani and Adani.

The party's manifesto targets alleged voter manipulation, corporate media, and post-retirement government appointments for judges. Dipke built the party's online presence in 24 hours using AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT.

'For too long, people have been quiet in India,' Dipke said. 'There is a responsibility to take this moment and not laugh it off.' The movement taps into a tradition of satirical political protests seen recently in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Source: www.aljazeera.com