In brief
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, key figures of the Cockroach Janta Party, were released from Tihar Jail following a magistrate’s order after a week of incarceration for trespassing at the barricaded Jantar Mantar protest site. The pair have been urging the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging manipulation of voter rolls — a claim rejected by the commission and the ruling BJP. The party, which began as an online satire after a judge dubbed unemployed youth ‘cockroaches’, has evolved into a significant political force following student protests over leaked exam papers. Their focus has since shifted to electoral reform and opposition to the Special Intensive Revision exercise that has removed around 130 million names from voter lists.
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, prominent figures of the Gen‑Z‑led Cockroach Janta Party, walked out of Tihar Jail this week after a special executive magistrate ordered their release. The couple had spent a week in custody following a police arrest for trespassing at the barricaded Jantar Mantar protest site.
Jantar Mantar, a historic venue close to Parliament, was recently removed from the government’s list of sanctioned protest locations. The pair and their party have demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down, alleging that he is manipulating voter rolls. The commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP reject these claims.
The Cockroach Janta Party, originally a satirical online movement that grew after a judge likened unemployed youth to “cockroaches”, turned into a political force following student protests over leaked examination papers. After a mass march nearer Parliament in July, it gained national attention and eventually forced the resignation of India’s education minister.
The party has since pivoted its agenda to electoral reform, criticizing a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls that has removed roughly 130 million names from the lists in the past year. Critics fear that the process might also disenfranchise eligible voters, whereas the Election Commission says it removes dead and duplicate entries.
After the verdict, Das told journalists from a police van that “Truth alone triumphs. Long live the revolution.” The event underscores growing youth dissent in India’s political landscape.
