How Gen Z turned the CJP movement into meme culture
The CJP protest unfolded at Jantar Mantar, on the streets where thousands battled police batons, and quickly segued to social media with a distinctly Gen Z flavour as memes, music and mirth accompanied demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
As the protests gain steam in the national capital and across cities such as Mumbai, Indore, Udaipur and Hyderabad, Instagram and X have become extensions of the demonstration, with participants mixing political messaging with viral internet trends.
With a dash of sarcasm and plenty of creativity, Gen Z’s hyper-referential humour that thrives on layers of irony took on everything from Pradhan’s resignation and joblessness to police action during the July 20 march and environmental concerns.
While one Instagram user mocked the delay in Pradhan's resignation, saying, "Employment opportunities are low in our country; that's why Pradhan is not resigning," another quipped that the minister was probably waiting to receive his month's salary before stepping down "to avoid the financial crunch during the full-and-final settlement."
“Ho sakta hai Dharmendra Pradhan ke paas dusra offer na ho, isliye resign nahi kar raha. (Possibly Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t have another job offer, that's why he is not resigning),” said a post on X.
When protesters on their way to Parliament were met with Delhi Police and other paramilitary forces that resorted to a lathi charge and fired tear gas shells, short videos on social media gave the day's ordeal a satirical spin.
Running protesters posted videos with songs such as “Chak De India”, “Bhag Milkha”, “Bhag DK Bose” and “Gangnam Style”. The music from the mobile game Subway Surfers, in which the player tries to escape a policeman, featured in several viral videos as protesters ran from police. “Thanks for the cardio, Delhi Police!” one post read.
“Parliament ki doorbell baja ke bhag gaya! (Rang Parliament’s doorbell and took off!),” said one reel set to “Chak De India”.
A YouTuber and rapper who goes by the name Garam Kalakar also posted a short video putting together the events of July 20.
“Kal Jantar Mantar pe kya dekha? Chhatron me bhara tha junoon dekha, Delhi police pe sawar maine khoon dekha. Civil dress me gundo ki dhun dekha, aur vardi walon ki nameplate gum dekha.”
Several protesters also shared "GRWM" (Get Ready With Me) and "OOTD" (Outfit of the Day) reels before heading to the march, documenting their outfits alongside updates from the protest site.
Dressed in an indigo kurta, one content creator posted: “Get ready with me to witness the downfall of the government. I am wearing a spine, some jhumkas and my constitutional right to oh… Never mind!”
Environmental concerns also found their way into the protest's online humour. Referring to the use of tear gas, a user on X posted, "Delhi Police, please don't use tear gas. It pollutes the city. Then we'll also have to ask for the environment minister's resignation."
“Unlike petrol blended with E20, the tear gas used during the protest was 100 per cent authentic and without adulteration,” another wrote.
Amid allegations of police excesses, one participant posted ironically, "I am totally safe here. There are a lot of police around me. Nobody can hit me."
In another widely shared video, a YouTuber asked a protester why Pradhan had still not resigned. Without breaking into a smile, the protester replied it was a "masterstroke" by the BJP-led Centre and that its positive outcomes would be visible in “Dhurandhar 3”.
The Aditya Dhar film became a recurring reference online and at the protest site.
It was not just colourful slogans and inventive placards. Videos showed protesters cosplaying as Batman, Spider-Man, Superman and Iron Man, while others dressed as Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Aamir Khan’s alien character from PK.
And what is a day of dissent without some bleeding hearts?
Many found humour in heartbreak too. “Aaj tear gas ke fog me unko yaad karke ro diya. (I cried remembering them in the fog of the tear gas),” one user wrote over a video of reddened eyes.
Another joked, “Itna ignore to usne bhi nahi kiya tha. (Even they didn’t ignore me so much!).”
In a lighter take on the popular "aapda mein avsar" phrase, a protester suggested that all single men and women should attend the march because it was “an ideal place to find a partner”.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which started online following a comment by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant referring to unemployed youth as cockroaches, has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20 demanding Pradhan's resignation over the NEET question paper leak and other examination irregularities. The protest has since spread across the country with thousands of students joining in.
(Source: PTI)