- IIT Madras instructed students to remove Instagram videos supporting protests against alleged exam irregularities and paper leaks.
- The protests are led by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth satirical movement that gained popularity after controversial remarks by the CJI.
- The Gen Z-led satirical party went viral almost overnight, garnering millions of followers on Instagram.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has reportedly asked students to remove Instagram videos expressing solidarity with the ongoing student protests over alleged exam irregularities and paper leaks.
The move comes as thousands of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters continue to stage protests across multiple states, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Students have joined the demonstrations in various ways, including raising slogans, displaying messages on banners, and sharing short videos on social media.
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An IIT Madras student, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told NDTV, "The university asked us to take down the Instagram videos in support of the student protests." According to the student, the dean instructed them to remove the content. "Guys, we were asked by the dean to take down the posts related to the Jantar Mantar protests. Our faculty advisor was called. We will be taking down those posts, including the solidarity video. Since you guys had contributed to the video, we thought it was important to let you know," reads a message received by an IIT Madras student.
Among the videos was one showing students holding a banner that read, "Solidarity with the Jantar Mantar protest. Solidarity with Wangchuk and students on hunger strike. Students' lives matter, etc.," which later went viral on social media. The institute reportedly took cognisance of the posts after the video gained widespread attention.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by Abhi Dipke, is an Indian youth-led satirical political movement that emerged after a controversial remark by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. During court proceedings, the CJI reportedly compared certain unemployed young people and online activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites of society".
The Gen Z-led satirical party went viral almost overnight, garnering millions of followers on Instagram.
Although it began as an internet meme, the movement quickly evolved into a broader youth-led campaign driven by frustration over rising living costs, unemployment, and major educational controversies, particularly the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. The movement later gained support from educator Sonam Wangchuk, who undertook a 26-day indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.