Cockroach Janta Party forms after chief justice of India remark
A youth group called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) popped up after the chief justice of India compared unemployed youth to "cockroaches."
Founded by Abhijeet Dipke, they held their first protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 6 and are thinking about becoming a political party.
But if they do, the Election Commission (EC) is unlikely to let them use a cockroach as their election symbol.
Animal symbols banned for new parties
The EC lets independent candidates and unrecognized parties pick from 184 free symbols: think fruits, vegetables, and household stuff.
But since the 1990s, animal symbols have been banned because activists raised concerns about animal cruelty.
So even though some older parties still have animal symbols (like BSP's elephant), new ones like the cockroach aren't allowed anymore.