![\"'We](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131552601,imgsize-91948,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/kk6ecitahc4-hd.jpg\" "\\"Cockroach")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe sudden rise of the Cockroach Janta Party has led many to question whether it is Aam Aadmi Party 2.0. But there are issues that matter to the younger generation\u2014the Gen Z\u2014such as the recent NEET paper leak and the CBSE online marking mess. Many NEET aspirants died by suicide after the leak, and the concerned minister, Union education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has not resigned.Author and political commentator Anand<\/a> Ranganathan says there are three aspects of the Cockroach Janta Party that people are not looking at fully, with most discussions focusing on only one or two of them. He calls the Cockroach Janta Party “Aam Aadmi Party 2.0” and points to founder Abhijeet Dipke’s past association with Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal<\/a>. Ranganathan says the movement is similar to the early days of the AAP. He is also critical of the Cockroach party’s leadership, describing its core members as anarchists and claiming that they are trying to create disruption and unrest.Here’s a breakdown by Anand Ranganathan<\/span>Twenty-two million followers, a movement born out of exam leaks, unemployment anger, and of course, a controversial cockroach remark. Supporters say this is India\u2019s Gen Z political awakening. Critics say it\u2019s nothing more than AAP 2.0 wrapped in a social media campaign.<\/span>Joining us is author and political commentator Anand Ranganathan. Thank you. Anand, welcome to our show.<\/span>Thank you.<\/span>We\u2019ve seen many online movements. Sorry, cockroach. It was a cockroach. I get the drift, but what is the larger picture that you see? Do you see this as a joke that went viral or a serious political phenomenon, the Cockroach Janata Party?<\/span>First of all, thank you so much, Aditi. It\u2019s always such a pleasure being here. I think there are three points that people haven\u2019t looked at in their entirety. People are talking about either one of those points, or the second one, or two of those. So let\u2019s break it down into what I believe is happening right now.<\/span>Number one. Let\u2019s be very honest. If Kejriwal had Anna Hazare, these guys have Kejriwal. It is Aam Aadmi Party 2.0. As the very famous first sentence of Metamorphosis by Kafka goes\u2014<\/span>\u201cOne morning…\u201d Let me paraphrase it. One morning, Gregor Kejriwal woke up after an unsettled dream and found himself transformed into a giant cockroach.<\/span>But don\u2019t you think you\u2019re being a little unfair? He\u2019s worked with Kejriwal before, then he went abroad. From what I\u2019ve heard him say, he obviously put this out as a joke or a sarcastic comment on what a judge said.<\/span>Yes.<\/span>And it acquired a life of its own.<\/span>Right.<\/span>He could not have predicted\u2014and I\u2019m talking about Abhijeet here\u2014that this would become what it has become. So I\u2019m talking of the expansion of the Cockroach Janata Party that has happened with the three spokespersons and others.<\/span>They are a bunch of anarchists. I don\u2019t want to use stronger words than that, but good luck to them, whatever they plan to do in life. But right now they\u2019re just out there to create havoc and trouble, which is what anarchists do. Leftists, they\u2019ve got all their views confused. There is a lot of Hindu phobia in there. There\u2019s a lot of taking pride in doing things illegally.<\/span>If you were to ask them, was Shaheen Bagh illegal, where they blocked a road for six months, none of them would say it was illegal. Were the farm protests illegal when they blocked the highways? No.<\/span>So fundamentally, they are from the same fold as the Aam Aadmi Party\u2014anarchists, leftists, rejects of society, dregs.<\/span>But here is the thing. The first point is, it\u2019s very clear who they are. The second point is, do they have a right to do what they\u2019re doing?<\/span>And the answer\u2014not just because I\u2019m a free speech absolutist, but even otherwise\u2014is absolutely and emphatically yes. Of course, according to me, they have a right to say or do whatever they want, form a party, have a press conference, allege whatever they want.<\/span>And this is where the government has got it wrong when they\u2019re saying, \u201cWe\u2019re blocking this for national security issues, sovereignty issues.\u201d I mean, come on.<\/span>Let\u2019s remember what was happening during the UPA time. I think there was a cartoonist who basically changed the symbol of the Sarnath lions\u2014<\/span>Yeah, with wolves.<\/span>And the UPA came down heavily on him. I forget his name. Aseem, I think his name was.<\/span>Aseem.<\/span>Some UAPA-type provisions were added on him. He was arrested. He was jailed. <\/span>BJP<\/span> was supporting that person.<\/span>So when you\u2019re in power, you suddenly feel that the nation is at threat. No. The nation is not at threat from whatever these bunch of no-hopers are doing. So I support them completely.<\/span>Now I come to the final point, which is very important and which people are missing. This is why I feel the BJP has not just lost the plot but missed the bus, because each and every one of these issues are genuine issues.<\/span>Please remember how Arvind Kejriwal gained popularity. He piggybacked on genuine grouses and genuine issues, which was corruption at that point in time, 15 years ago. It was only later, when people understood what he wanted to do and how things turned out, that people realized his real intentions.<\/span>In this case, there is a big difference. They are piggybacking on genuine grouses. I\u2019ll come to that in a minute. But here, people know who these guys are. We had no idea who Kejriwal was. We thought he was an honest guy, he was going to change society, and he was one of us.<\/span>It\u2019s only five or six years down the line that people got to know the real Kejriwal, and now we know he\u2019s as despotic as any other politician, which is fine by me. Like Lalu, like Kejriwal, like anybody else.<\/span>These guys, we know who they are. But this is how they start a movement. They piggyback on genuine grouses.<\/span>And this is the third point very quickly, Aditi. Years before what <\/span>CJP<\/span> is doing, right-wing, meritorious Modi supporters have brought up exactly these issues. Exactly these issues.<\/span>Corruption\u2014I can name them. Anuradha Tiwari is one, Ajit Bharti is another. UGC issues, potholes on the road, the QR code thing, corruption, injustice, government malaise, examination leaks. More issues than what the CJP has brought in, the right-wingers have brought up.<\/span>And what happened to them?<\/span>The BJP went after them. BJP supporters called them all sorts of things. They were even equated with jihadis.<\/span>So the chicken has come home to roost because the same people whose genuine grouses you ignored, and whom you should have supported, were pushed aside. Now somebody else has taken that mantle. And perhaps they are among those 22 million followers that the Cockroach Janata Party has.<\/span>But I\u2019m going to come down to each of these three issues one by one.<\/span>Sure. And first, let me start with when you say they are the dregs and they are the anarchists. Who are you referring to? Because there are 22 million kids out there, youngsters out there. Not all of them can be anarchists. Many of them would be people who are actually hurt by what has happened in India, by mental health issues. There are people who committed suicide. Those are not issues that we can trifle with, and you’re right there. But when you’re saying dregs, who are you referring to?<\/span>Everyone, each one of them can\u2019t be dregs.<\/span>Thank you for saying that. Of course, I don\u2019t know who those 22 million people are. Followers are possibly not supporters. Whatever the case may be, my categorization is of the spokespersons and the people surrounding those spokespersons. They are the ones who are leftist anarchists.<\/span>Okay.<\/span>Not the followers. Thanks for the clarification.<\/span>Of course.<\/span>So now this has largely been an online movement.<\/span>Just to clarify, Kejriwal was a dyed-in-the-wool leftist, right? But a lot of supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party at that point of time\u2014<\/span>That\u2019s exactly what I mean. You piggyback on a genuine grouse, which is pan-India, ideology-agnostic, party-agnostic. That is how you build a movement, and then slowly the cover falls off.<\/span>Even if several thousand of these online activists turn up at Jantar Mantar, do you believe that\u2014<\/span>It will be difficult to make the cockroaches back off. What they have done to begin with is antagonize the entire legal procedure. They haven\u2019t got permission to be at Jantar Mantar.<\/span>And this is what I mean. Anarchists and leftists\u2014this is exactly what they do.<\/span>But I think he clarified that he\u2019s going to ask for permission after landing.<\/span>So the guy lands just a few hours before the protest is supposed to happen. Tens of thousands are supposed to gather, and he goes and asks for permission.<\/span>Now you know what happens. When you ask for permission, it is not granted immediately. The police have to do reconnaissance. They have to visit the place. They have to find out where the exits and entrances are. What if 10,000 people suddenly arrive?<\/span>There is a procedure, and it takes days. After that, you are given clearance not just by the police but by the fire department and others. It\u2019s a whole process.<\/span>What are they expecting? You go to the police station, your protest is a few hours away, and you get permission instantly?<\/span>Obviously, they planned this. Then they would hype it up by saying, \u201cLook, this is an anti-democratic state. It didn\u2019t give us permission to protest.\u201d<\/span>And not just that. Even if you say they cleverly planned it, look at what the spokesperson said. He said, \u201cWhy should we need permission?\u201d<\/span>So let me say this. This is classic The Man Who Was Thursday. This is classic anarchy. This is what they do. They have displayed their cards.<\/span>So you\u2019re saying that it\u2019s headed toward a firestorm, a melee, when the ground event actually happens.<\/span>Yes.<\/span>But what options does the government have? Because it has to do something. If it refuses permission now, the perception and the narrative become, \u201cThe government is suppressing protest.\u201d<\/span>Which is exactly what they want.<\/span>But if that happens, what are the options before the government, the police, or whoever the authorities are? Can they make this happen in some other way?<\/span>So this is the nub of the issue, and this is where I believe the BJP, Modi, and everyone down the line have got it completely wrong.<\/span>The government should have appropriated this movement because the fact remains, as Anuradha is saying, as Ajit is saying, and as many others are saying\u2014we are cockroaches, yaar.<\/span>Everything is hunky-dory in this country. Yes, there is no alternative to Modi. Modi is doing well. The country is doing well.<\/span>But these are also issues that matter.<\/span>Of course. And it affects Gen Z. It affects the generation. That\u2019s it.<\/span>Look at the 10 people who committed suicide. The minister is still there. CBSE came after that, UGC before that.<\/span>The point is, the grouse is as serious as the anti-corruption grouse was serious.<\/span>The BJP should have appropriated it. Maybe senior leaders might have, but younger BJP leaders should have come out and said, \u201cWe stand with this.\u201d<\/span>And if Modi tweeted, \u201cI hear you,\u201d Gen Z would feel heard. Right now, Gen Z feels nobody hears us.<\/span>So let us follow CJP.<\/span>That\u2019s what they\u2019re feeling.<\/span>Anuradha has used the word \u201ccockroaches\u201d much before these people did. What does cockroach mean, and why are critics of the CJP using the word derogatorily?<\/span>We are cockroaches. Cockroaches are meant to survive even a nuclear holocaust.<\/span>The way Indians are surviving\u2014contamination in water, contamination everywhere, injustice everywhere, corruption everywhere, government apathy.<\/span>Two days ago, 20 people died. Someone had a permit for six hotel rooms and was operating with 25. Then he says, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span>Today the headline says, \u201cIn Delhi, everything is fine.\u201d<\/span>This is the attitude.<\/span>