CLAIM

Viral video of Cockroach Janata Party protesters dancing on a Bollywood song amid ongoing protests in New Delhi

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a keyword search and a reverse image search to trace the original source.

Multiple users, including Indian and Pakistani accounts, have been sharing a video on several social media platforms since July 20, 2026, claiming that it shows Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protesters vibing on music during a protest in New Delhi. However, the video is from a community music event in Vancouver, Canada, and is unrelated to the ongoing protest in New Delhi.

When pent-up youth anger propelled India’s CJP to online fame in May, its founder said his supporters were disillusioned with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and the opposition for failing to address their concerns.

Tens of thousands of Gen Z protesters have taken to the streets of the capital Delhi, calling for the resignation of the country’s education minister.

Starting as a satirical online movement just a couple of months ago, the CJP is now one of India’s most visible youth movements.

Protesters tried to bring their demands to the parliament building at the heart of the world’s biggest democracy; they were met with tear gas and police violence, struck with sticks and batons.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 20, an Indian account, that appears to be a supporter of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shared a video on X showing a large crowd dancing to a Bollywood song while apparently linking it to the CJP and Delhi protesters.

The post gained one million views.

Another Indian account shared the same video with the same caption on Facebook, garnering 604,000 views.

An Indian propaganda account, based on its past posts, shared the same video on X with the following caption: “This is getting dangerous”.

The post attracted 184,000 views with the comments section seemingly split between those believing it and those calling it out,.

A Bharatiya Janata Party supporter, based on its bio, shared the same video on Instagram on July 21 with the following caption: “I request Delhi chief minister not to put a stop to this agitation. We ‘semi-youth’ are having a blast being entertained. Please don’t deprive us citizens of such colourful entertainment.”

The post gained 125,000 views.

Another user shared the same video in a similar context and caption on Facebook, gaining 108,000 views.

The video was shared by several other Indian users on Facebook, Instagram and X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here; collectively accumulating 125,000 views.

The claim was then picked up by Pakistani users, ranging from PML-N supporters to pro-military accounts based on their usernames and past posts, on X, sharing it to compare with and criticise PTI protesters at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.

A PML-N supporter, based on their past posts, shared the same video while comparing it to D-Chowk protests by PTI supporters with the following caption: “Seeing the Cockroach Party’s protest brought back memories of D-Chowk. We used to witness even more passion and zeal than this. I feel like India’s Janata must have arranged the DJ and the girls after watching our Khan sahib’s sit-in.”

The post gained 61,000 views.

Similar shares of the same video by other Pakistani accounts can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the ongoing protests in India.

A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any such video had been covered by mainstream Indian or international media outlets but yielded no results.

A reverse image search was subsequently conducted and yielded the same video shared on the Instagram page of Vancouver Mehfil, a popular local community arts and music initiative that hosts open-mic jam sessions and cultural gatherings, often held outdoors at locations where local artists, musicians, and singers gather to perform, sing, and celebrate Bollywood, Sufi, and traditional South Asian music.

The video was posted on July 14, 2026, which predates the current protests in India.

Furthermore, the user who originally shared the video identified the event organiser and location in the comments, writing: “Event organised by Vancouver Mehfil at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver, Canada.”

The event organiser identified and praised the singer in the comments, writing: “Gurmukh Singh, you rocked as usual. Amazing singing. You really know how to excite the crowd.”

Singh, the singer featured at the event, also shared the same video from a different angle on his own Instagram page on July 16, further confirming that the footage originates from a community-based musical gathering in Canada and bears no relation to the protests in India.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows CJP protesters dancing to a Bollywood song amid ongoing protests in New Delhi is false.

The video is from a community music event in Vancouver, Canada and is not connected to the ongoing protests in India.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

July 14, Vancouver Mehfil Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DawqLloNDnd/

July 16, Gurmukh Singh Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Da1m2ZxgeSr/