BJP MP Tejasvi Surya urged the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to introspect and maintain consistency if it wants to remain a credible independent movement.
He said the CJP must question governments across states by applying the same standards, rather than selectively targeting those in power.
Surya also dismissed claims of a Gen Z shift towards the Opposition, saying young people primarily seek jobs, good governance and economic opportunities.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has advised the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which recently emerged as a platform for a large mobilisation of young people against the government, to undertake “serious introspection” if it wants to retain its credibility as an independent movement.
Speaking at the India Today Karnataka Roundtable, the Bengaluru South MP said the CJP had provided young people with a platform to raise concerns and had acted as an “umbrella” for those dissatisfied with governance at both the state and central levels.
Surya, however, said participation in the mobilisation should not automatically be interpreted as support for the organisation or the Opposition.
CJP Must Apply Same Standards Across States
“Most of the people who came to the protest may not be in support of CJP, but we are here for a particular issue,” he said, describing the emergence of a platform that allowed young people to voice their concerns as “a welcome thing in a democracy”.
At the same time, Surya cautioned that the CJP would have to demonstrate consistency in the issues it raises and the governments it holds to account.
“If they want to maintain their credibility, then the CJP will have to do some serious introspection,” he said.
The BJP MP argued that an organisation seeking to present itself as an independent movement could not selectively question governments depending on which political party was in power.
“They cannot be selective and ask questions based on who is ruling which state at which point in time,” Surya said.
He cited the issue of education as an example, saying that if the CJP questioned the quality of schools in Maharashtra, it should raise similar questions about schools in Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other states.
‘Disagreement With Govt Does Not Mean Support For Opposition’
Surya also rejected the suggestion that disagreements among young voters over specific government policies indicated a broader shift away from the BJP.
“There may be certain issues that they disagree with, and it is part of a healthy democracy,” he said.
He added that the Opposition would be “in a big delusion” if it believed that criticism of the government on one or two issues meant Gen Z had begun supporting it.
According to Surya, young Indians primarily want good governance, employment opportunities, a functioning economy and systems capable of responding to their aspirations.
He also pointed to the government’s economic performance and trade agreements as factors that, he argued, would create new opportunities for young Indians, saying the country’s growth trajectory reflected effective governance.
