Why India's Cockroach Janta Party has got people talking - BBC World Service

The cockroach has become an unlikely symbol for millions of Gen-Zs in India, thanks to the Cockroach Janta Party - a satirical collective posting online. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Nearly 40% of graduates aged 15-25 in India are jobless and many of them are frustrated or disillusioned with politics. So, it didn’t land when India's Chief Justice Surya Kant compared the unemployed to “parasites and cockroaches”. He later clarified that the comments were directed at people with fake degrees. But within days the Cockroach Janta Party attracted over 22 million followers and lots of support. At the time of recording this podcast, the group’s account on X has been withheld in India ‘in response to a legal demand’. BBC’s South Asia Correspondent Azadeh Moshiri tells us why the cockroach symbolism is resonating but also why there may be pushback from the government. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService