We are a movement, not a political party: CJP’s Dipke says it will act as a pressure group

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 5, 2026: In a significant move, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led movement that emerged from nationwide outrage over exam paper leaks, has decided against entering mainstream electoral politics, choosing instead to function as a pressure group aimed at driving systemic change. The founder of the group, formed as a satirical platform, Abhijeet Dipke, also said that activist Sonam Wangchuk will be their mentor.

The announcement comes amid heightened speculation about the group’s political ambitions following its rapid rise as one of India’s largest student mobilisations in recent years. However, CJP leaders have made it clear that forming a political party is not on the agenda, arguing that India already has hundreds of parties but persistent governance failures remain unaddressed.

Dipke also said that they have extended their support to the students’ movement currently underway in Jharkhand against the Congress-JMM government in the aftermath of the JPSC exam paper leak. He said that if need be, he will visit the state to support the protesting students.

“We are not thinking about starring political party, it seem media is more interested," Dipke said. He went on to say that the people of the country do not trust “judiciary, politicians, and the entire system".

And for that reason they will serve as a pressure group, he said.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das underscored this stance, saying, “…We are a movement, and a pressure group is very important in a democracy. As we have said before, there are already 750–800 political parties in the country. If people are still facing problems and hardships, it means the answer is not just another political party. What is needed is a grassroots movement and public awakening, and that is what the CJP movement is working towards."

Their Mentor

At the centre of the movement emerged activist Sonam Wangchuk, who will now take on the role of mentor. Wangchuk had earlier become the face of the protests, undertaking a 26-day hunger strike that drew national attention to issues of examination integrity and administrative accountability.

Sources within the movement say CJP is preparing to expand its footprint beyond its original base, with leaders expressing support for ongoing student protests in Jharkhand and indicating readiness to physically join demonstrations if required. This signals a transition from a single-issue agitation into a broader, pan-India mobilisation platform.

The group has also struck a sharply critical tone against institutions, with members claiming that public trust in the judiciary, political class and the broader system has eroded—an assertion that reflects the anger which initially fuelled the protests.

CJP Brief History

CJP first shot to prominence after leading protests demanding education reforms and the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The agitation was called off shortly after Pradhan stepped down, with the group claiming its demands had been accepted.

What sets the movement apart, analysts note, is both its scale and its non-ideological character. As Yamini Aiyar told the BBC, “The exam and education system cuts across caste, class and gender to quite a large degree. The core constituency coming to these protests doesn’t represent a singular interest group."

Similarly, Rahul Verma observed in remarks made to the BBC, “This movement centres on administrative failure. The state’s inability to conduct examinations fairly and prevent paper leaks makes it a very different kind of political challenge to the BJP."

The movement’s emergence has also revived comparisons with past student-led uprisings, such as the Nav Nirman agitation in Gujarat that fed into Jayaprakash Narayan’s mass movement against then prime minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s.

For now, however, CJP appears intent on staying outside the electoral arena. By positioning itself as a pressure group rather than a political party, it is betting on sustained grassroots mobilisation to influence policy, raising the possibility that its role in shaping public discourse may extend well beyond the classroom crisis that first brought it into the spotlight.