The Meaning Behind the Cockroach Symbol
By Areeba Khan
The meaning behind the cockroach symbol is not accidental. Nobody puts a cockroach on a banner by accident, and for Cockroach Janta Party the choice was deliberate. It says a lot about the mood of the movement.
In this article
Owning the insult
The symbol was handed to the movement. On 15 May 2026 Chief Justice Surya Kant compared some unemployed young people and activists to cockroaches in court, and clarified later that he meant people with fake degrees. The next day Abhijeet Dipke launched CJP. Taking a word meant to dismiss people and wearing it proudly turns the insult into a badge.
Survival over status
Lions and eagles stand for power. Cockroaches stand for staying power. They adapt, they endure and they keep coming back, which is exactly how many people feel about job hunts and the news cycle. Media reports on the movement have also noted that the insect is famously hard to get rid of.
The cockroach on the phone
Reports describe the movement’s logo as the outline of a cockroach on a mobile phone, a fitting picture for an online-first group of people who spend their days scrolling, reading and arguing. The mascot illustrations on this website are not the movement’s official logo.
Our own motto sums up the spirit: small creatures, big conversations. For the bigger picture, see what CJP is.
