A viral video showing members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrating at a Delhi hotel has sparked a heated debate on social media, with critics questioning the timing of the gathering after the youth-led group's 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar came to an end.
The videos, which have been widely shared on social media, show CJP members dancing and celebrating to music. The clips surfaced days after the group called off its sit-in following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The celebrations have drawn criticism from some social media users, who questioned whether the protesters should have been celebrating at a time when the capital was still dealing with the aftermath of clashes between protesters and police.
Saurav Das responds to criticism
Amid the backlash, Saurav Das addressed the criticism in a post on X. Defending the celebrations, Das said the reaction reflected a lack of understanding of how younger generations approach activism and social movements.
"It just goes to show that the government and godi anchors simply do not understand the language of Gen Z and younger generations," Das wrote.
He argued that protesting and celebrating are not necessarily contradictory, adding that young people can continue to fight for change while expressing themselves in ways that may differ from traditional forms of activism.
"We can sit on the road for as long as it takes. We can protest while dancing. We can organise while sipping cold coffee. We can fight for change without looking the way previous generations think a movement should look (no shade on anyone!)," he said.
Describing the younger generation as "confident, creative, resilient" and "impossible to stereotype", Das added, "The uncles and aunties can keep complaining. They'll just have to deal with us!"
Social media reactions divided
The videos have triggered mixed reactions online. While some users defended the celebrations as a way for young protesters to mark what they viewed as a significant moment, others criticised the CJP members for celebrating at a hotel.
One X user, Dear Men, shared a video with a critical caption, questioning whether the members seen celebrating had faced the same hardships as protesters who were injured during the agitation.
"Shocking Video of Dance & celebration at some big hotel by CJP members after Pradhan Resignation. Look at these Frauds," the post said.
The user further alleged that some protesters had faced police action during the agitation while others were celebrating away from the protest site. The comments have added to the wider online debate over who represented the movement and how its leaders chose to mark its conclusion.
Protest called off after resignation
Days after the clashes, Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, saying that he did not want the situation to be exploited by "anti-national forces".
Following the resignation, CJP leaders announced that they would withdraw their agitation on July 26 after holding a meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
According to the CJP, several of its demands had been accepted, including Pradhan's resignation, compensation for families of students who had died by suicide amid the exam-related turmoil and the withdrawal of FIRs filed against protesters in Delhi and BJP-ruled states.
A follow-up meeting on wider education reforms was also scheduled to take place four weeks later.
The end of the protest was marked by celebrations at Jantar Mantar, where protesters were seen dancing and chanting before the site was cleared.
