The student behind 'cockroach' protests that forced an Indian minister to quit

In just under three months, 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke - the founder and face of India's Gen Z "cockroach" protests - has acquired the kind of celebrity status normally reserved for a breakout actor or cricketer.In politics or activism, unless you come from an influential family, such recognition can take years - if it comes at all."It's been a rollercoaster ride. Two-three months ago, nobody knew me. I was just in my room in Boston watching documentaries or attending lectures," said Dipke, who recently completed a master's in public relations at Boston University."Now I'm here surrounded by hundreds of people, by cameras. It's a bit overwhelming."In and around his hometown of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the western state of Maharashtra, Dipke is routinely thronged by people wanting to shake his hand or take a photo.If the attention bothers him, it doesn't show. Perhaps because politics isn't entirely new to him: before moving to the US, Dipke had worked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an opposition party that grew out of an anti-corruption movement, for three years.Then, on 16 May, Dipke wrote a post on X that would change his life: "What if all cockroaches come together?"It was ...