Abhijeet Dipke emerges as face of youth-led protests in India

NEW DELHI: Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communications strategist, has emerged as the most recognisable figure in India’s biggest street protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since 2014.

The protests grew out of a social media post Dipke wrote on X on May 16 in response to remarks by Supreme Court judge Surya Kant, who had likened India’s unemployed youth to cockroaches in a speech. Kant later said his comments had been misconstrued. By then, Dipke’s six-word post had spread widely online and helped inspire a satirical platform called the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, which became a focal point for young Indians angered by unemployment, exam paper leaks and demands for greater accountability from the government.

Over the past three days, tens of thousands of people have gathered in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over leaks in the medical entrance examination held in May, which affected around 2 million students and were linked to several student suicides. Sporadic demonstrations were also reported from other parts of India, including Mumbai.

Return to India and leadership role

Dipke had been based in Boston in the United States until early June, but returned to India to launch a protest near the Jantar Mantar observatory in central Delhi. Since then, and particularly after a police action against demonstrators on Monday triggered public anger, he has remained a visible presence at the protest site.

Wearing a T-shirt and jeans and sporting a beard, Dipke has been addressing crowds from a raised platform, urging protesters to remain peaceful while keeping pressure on the government. Although the CJP has multiple organisers, he has become the public face of the movement, attracting both support and criticism.

Last week, a woman threw blue ink at him while he was speaking to supporters, staining his face. She later accused the CJP of insulting Lord Ram. After the incident, Dipke shared a video with the caption: "Blue is my colour"

The caption appeared to reference blue’s association with the Ambedkarite movement.

Background and political journey

Dipke was born in Aurangabad in Maharashtra into a Dalit family, one of India’s historically disadvantaged communities. In a phone interview from Chicago in May, he told Reuters, "My father comes from a very humble background. He grew up in extreme poverty. My grandfather was just a farmer."

His Dalit identity has long influenced his politics. When he arrived in Delhi on June 6, he held up a copy of My Autobiography by B R Ambedkar, the Dalit rights leader and principal architect of India’s constitution, as supporters and security personnel surrounded him.

In 2020, Dipke joined the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party, where he said he developed a political messaging style centred on memes, satire and humour. He is no longer linked to the party, although AAP and several other opposition groups have backed the movement. In 2023, he moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in public relations in Boston, while continuing to closely follow Indian politics.

From online satire to mass mobilisation

Dipke has said he is still coming to terms with his prominence. One of the first people to help expand the movement was Delhi-based YouTuber Meghnad S. After Dipke’s post, Meghnad and a friend used AI tools to create a satirical website announcing the Cockroach Janta Party.

Meghnad said, "I saw the page and thought it was damn hilarious."

The movement’s Instagram account gained 22 million followers within days and later rose to 25 million. Meghnad said, "That's how organic it was."

As the online campaign expanded, so did its political significance. Speaking from Boston in May, Dipke said, "This is a movement to change the political discourse of India. The youth of India has largely vanished from the mainstream political discourse."

Despite threats to himself and his family, he decided to return to India and has said he will stay at least until students receive justice. Since June 6, he has remained at the protest site as the demonstrations have grown, often seen appealing for calm, speaking to journalists and taking brief naps between appearances. Addressing supporters from the stage on Wednesday, he said, "Let me make it clear — we will also not stop until we win."