印度首场由Z世代主导的"蟑螂人民党"抗议运动已从街头转向社交媒体，双方围绕这场运动的叙述权展开激烈争夺[1]。该抗议始于对考试泄露的讽刺性反对，历经36天后演变为更广泛的青年运动[1]。教育部长Dharmendra Pradhan于7月25日辞职，满足了抗议者的核心诉求[1]。
官方与抗议者正通过不同的网络平台采用截然不同的策略进行舆论争夺。印度人民党（BJP）议员Bansuri Swaraj和Sambit Patra分享了抗议者被指辱骂总理莫迪及其已故母亲的视频[1]，试图扭转舆论走向。Meta公司在抗议期间曾临时删除莫迪的一段视频，随后恢复并致歉，称系自动审核错误[1]。与此相对，抗议支持者则在Instagram上通过梗图、模仿视频和混音等形式推进教育改革议题[1]。
互联网自由基金会创始主任Apar Gupta指出，Z世代通过梗图和讽刺在文化话题争夺中获得优势[1]。分析认为，BJP的数字策略针对WhatsApp时代设计，而Instagram则奖励真实性和病毒式传播，这种平台特性差异使得两方采取了完全不同的网络动员方式[1]。
India's first Gen Z-led protest movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has transitioned from street demonstrations into a digital struggle for control over its narrative.[1] The 36-day protest, which began as a satirical response to exam leaks, evolved into a broader youth movement and achieved a major victory when Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25.[1] However, the resignation has not ended the conflict; instead, the battle has moved to social media platforms, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CJP supporters are now competing to shape public perception of the movement.[1]
The BJP has attempted to reframe the protest through coordinated online campaigns, with party members including Bansuri Swaraj and Sambit Patra sharing videos allegedly showing protesters insulting Prime Minister Modi and his deceased mother.[1] Meanwhile, CJP supporters have sustained momentum on Instagram through memes, parody videos, and remixed content focused on education reform advocacy.[1] According to Apar Gupta, founding director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, Gen Z has successfully captured the cultural conversation through humor and irony.[1] The strategic mismatch is evident in platform choice: the BJP's digital approach was designed for the WhatsApp era, while Instagram rewards authenticity and viral spread—terrain where younger activists hold the advantage.[1] The episode was further complicated when Meta temporarily removed a video featuring Modi during the protests, later restoring it and apologizing, citing an automated moderation error.[1]