India has a new political superstar - a cockroach
Key takeaways
- Zoya Mateen Delhi Screengrab from Cockroach Janta Party's website The Cockroach Janta Party has taken an irreverent approach to politics Indian politics has acquired an unusual mascot: the cockroach.
- He later clarified that he was referring specifically to people with "fake and bogus degrees", not India's youth more broadly.
- It is not a formal political party but a satire-heavy online collective whose membership criteria include being unemployed, lazy, chronically online and possessing "the ability to rant professionally".
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Zoya Mateen Delhi Screengrab from Cockroach Janta Party's website The Cockroach Janta Party has taken an irreverent approach to politics Indian politics has acquired an unusual mascot: the cockroach.
It's not the lotus of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's governing party, or the hand symbol of the opposition Congress, but the cockroach - stubborn, reviled and considered indestructible - which has recently become an unlikely yet relatable political symbol for young Indians online.
The insect was thrust into the spotlight last week after controversial comments made by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant. During a hearing, he allegedly compared unemployed young people drifting towards journalism and activism with cockroaches and parasites.