‘Instagram Is Your Town Square, Not A Ballot Box’: Shashi Tharoor’s Message To Gen Z

Key points

• ‘Instagram Is Your Town Square, Not A Ballot Box’: Shashi Tharoor’s Message To Gen Z Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 12:09 IST Addressing young Indians drawn to the viral ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ movement, the Congress MP acknowledged frustrations over unemployment and exam controversies.
• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
• (PTI file photo) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday urged young Indians associated with the viral “Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) movement to channel their frustrations through democratic and institutional mechanisms, saying lasting change can be achieved by engaging with the system rather than remaining outside it.
• In The Indian Express column addressed to Gen Z, Tharoor said the popularity of the satirical movement reflected widespread frustration among young people over inadequacies of the political system and controversies surrounding examinations.
• Referring to the movement’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, Tharoor noted that the “Cockroach Janta Party" rapidly gained traction online after being launched on...