The Cockroach Emoji Is Now India's Most-Used Protest Symbol on Social Media, Data Shows

🪳 has overtaken the fist, the dove and even the tricolour as the single most-used symbol attached to political posts by Indian social media users under 30, according to a new trends analysis. The shift traces back almost exactly to the Cockroach Janta Party's launch in May 2026. The Quint maps how a single emoji went from a punchline to the most recognisable shorthand for youth dissent in the country — and what it says about how Gen Z now communicates politics in symbols rather than slogans.