(Dr Pentapati Pullarao)
The Cockroach Janata Party is the hot topic in India. The BJP Modi Government is yet unable to fix a strategy to tackle it and keenly studying recent errors. The opposition wants to use CJP. It is less than 60 days and the CJP is talking about “removing the government “and other big words. In the initial battle with the government, CJP was successful in getting Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed. The victory was largely due to the surprise tactics of the CJP and the genuine anger due to poor governance of government. Now the CJP is no longer in a position to use surprise as a weapon.
The government and people are aware of who are the leaders and how it works. The CJP will now have to use other tactics if they want to survive.
India and Its Capital
For thousands of years, when an attacking army wanted to subdue another country, the easiest strategy was to conduct a siege of the Capital city. Once the capital fell, the rest of the country usually surrendered.
Since Independence, there have been many instances of agitators coming to Delhi and refusing to leave until their demands were met. In 1988, around seven lakh farmers camped near India Gate for ten days and finally compelled Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government to negotiate. However, the farmers wanted their demands addressed, not the overthrow of the government. Similarly, during Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement in 2011, his objective was the enactment of stronger anti-corruption laws, not a change of government.
Nepal and Bangladesh Examples of Gen Z power
In August 2024, the Bangladesh government led by Sheikh Hasina collapsed following mass protests in capital city Dacca. In 2025, Nepal witnessed large anti-government demonstrations in capital city Kathmandu. In both countries, the agitators had carefully planned strategies and opposition support. Their basic tactic was to flood the capital, surround government offices, threaten major political figures and steadily escalate pressure, with violence. The mobs were successful in Bangladesh and Nepal,
Those Governments faced two choices: Order the police to suppress the protests or negotiate. The problem with force was that hundreds of deaths could attract worldwide attention and intensify the agitation, encouraging more people to join. Nepal has a population of about three crores, yet the protests generally involved fewer than 50,000 people. In Bangladesh too, the active protesters were only a fraction of the population. Television images, however, often created the impression that the entire nation had risen in revolt, which is not true at all.
The strategy is to bring agitators into the capital and begin sustained agitation. As excitement grows, more people join. The media amplifies the movement, international media arrive, and the government becomes terrified. Yet, 95% of people in any country usually remain passive. The formula has been that even a small mob can control the Capital.
How CJP worked since June 6, 2026:
The CJP held its first meeting at Jantar Mantar on June 6, 2026, but little happened. It held a second meeting on June 20, 2026. The police had granted permission only for a one-day gathering, but CJP refused to vacate Jantar Mantar.
Events changed when Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike. Although Wangchuk later ended his fast, CJP continued agitation. Thousands of young people joined, creating an increasingly charged atmosphere. Eventually, the government negotiated with the organizers and persuaded them to leave Delhi and Jantar Mantar.
What Next?
The government is now aware of CJP’s principal leaders and tactics.
- The government will ensure that Jantar Mantar in Delhi is not available for rallies. Without such a platform, CJP will find mobilisation much more difficult. Few would care if five lakh people gathered in Warangal or Vijayawada, but even a few thousand at Jantar Mantar receive national attention.
- The government will continue negotiations with CJP wherever possible.
- The Opposition will support CJP. This is a double-edged sword. While opposition backing may strengthen the movement organizationally, this may also convince people that CJP is a disguised opposition campaign.
- The CJP will also have to decide whether to stick with issues concerning youth or start associating with opposition political parties. The CJP has to make difficult choices now, so as not to dilute its image
Main Strategy of CJP
If the CJP cannot mount a sustained rally in Delhi Jantar Mantar, it will become toothless. That is going to be the biggest hurdle now for CJP.
Main Strategy of the Government
The government understood that sitting at Jantar Mantar gave the CJP an exalted status. Lakhs of people pass by that way and crowds come. If the government prevents CJP from re-establishing itself at Jantar Mantar or a prolonged protest in Delhi, the movement will face difficult choices.
Remember the Importance of a Capital
Whether it was Vladimir Lenin during the October Revolution of 1917, Mao Zedong proclaiming victory in Beijing in 1949, or Fidel Castro entering Havana in 1959, political control ultimately centered on the national capital. It has become a game of chess. The government is waiting for CJP to makes its move. The CJP knows that its plan for another meeting at Jantar Mantar will be checkmated. Let us see what moves are now played and who is the grandmaster here! The CJP cannot afford a mistake.
(Author is a political analyst based in New Delhi)