Cockroach Janta Party- Democratic (CJP-D) Founder Manish Brahmbhatt poses for a photo with his party’s brochure during the media interaction on the occasion of launching his own party, in New Delhi on September 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Activist Manish Brahmbhatt on Thursday (September 3, 2026) announced the launch of the Cockroach Janta Party-Democratic (CJP-D), positioning it as an alternative platform to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), accusing the Abhijeet Dipke-led organisation of moving away from the student-led movement from which it had emerged.
Mr. Brahmbhatt, who had earlier protested against the composition of the CJP’s national working committee, alleged that the organisation had become a “handpicked team” aligned with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and was no longer adequately representing the volunteers and protesters who had participated in its agitation.
“Today, we are launching the Cockroach Janta Party-Democratic,” Mr. Brahmbhatt said, adding that the new platform would seek to mobilise the “collective strength” of people who had participated in the movement.
The CJP, which initially emerged as an online satirical platform and later held a student-led agitation in Delhi over examination paper leaks and other issues concerning education, subsequently announced plans to expand its activities across the country. Its founder Mr. Dipke has said the organisation would function as a public pressure group rather than entering electoral politics.
Mr. Brahmbhatt alleged that the CJP’s newly constituted leadership did not adequately reflect the wider movement, and several members associated with AAP had been included, while volunteers associated with other political parties and those who had participated in the protests were left out.
“Why are eight people involved exclusively from the Aam Aadmi Party?” he asked.
He alleged that volunteers associated with parties including the Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, RJD, BJP and the Congress had participated in the movement but were not represented in the new structure.
Mr. Brahmbhatt also questioned the representation of women, Muslims, Sikhs and students in the CJP’s leadership, saying the movement had drawn participation from diverse sections and had primarily been centred on students’ concerns over examination paper leaks.
“The core issue was the injustice faced by meritorious students due to paper leaks,” he said, alleging that the present leadership had failed to uphold the movement’s original objective.
Mr. Brahmbhatt and fellow activist Rahul Pandey had protested outside Dipke’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in August, alleging favouritism in the constitution of the CJP’s core committee and demanding greater representation for grassroots volunteers. The protesters had claimed that around 450 coordinators associated with the Jantar Mantar agitation had not been represented in the committee.
Mr. Brahmbhatt said the CJP-D would instead seek to create a national team through a democratic process and involve volunteers and protesters in decision-making.
“If you proceed solely based on Kejriwal’s agenda, without consulting volunteers or protesters, and fight against just one party, the country sees what is happening,” he said.
Published – September 03, 2026 08:14 pm IST
