Abhijeet Dipke, CJP: The student behind 'cockroach' protests that forced an Indian minister to quit

In just under three months, 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke - the founder and face of India's Gen Z "cockroach" protests - has acquired the kind of celebrity status normally reserved for a breakout actor or cricketer. Then, on 16 May, Dipke wrote a post on X that would change his life: "What if all cockroaches come together?" The ministry did not reply to the BBC's questions about the issue, but The Indian Express and other media reported government officials as saying the sites had been blocked because of 'national security concerns'. "I took the decision to come back to India when I was called a national security threat by my own government. "I decided I need to go back to my country to show I'm not a national security threat.

Source: BBC India/World September 11, 2026 00:27 UTC