CJP July protest’s internet-famous faces are back together: What their ‘Season 2’ video shows amid CEC stir in Delhi

A new video reunites viral faces Abhinav Bisht, Muhammad Shan and Nikhil Verma amid the protest agsinst CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The clip recalls the group’s July protests over the NEET-UG paper leak. However, Delhi Police denied permission for the gathering. The day saw detentions of over 7000 people.

The faces that became familiar during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in July were seen together again, with their latest social media appearance sparking fresh interest around October 10, Saturday’s protest in Delhi, which led to the detention of more than 7,000 people.

Instagram user Abhinav Bisht has shared a new video featuring Muhammad Shan and Nikhil Verma, reviving the trio’s association with the earlier demonstrations. The clip came with a “Ready for Season 2” caption, hinting at a return of the viral personalities who drew attention online during the July protests.

The CJP called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Critics have raised concerns about voter deletions, while the Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is part of its electoral-roll verification process.

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Instagram user Abhinav Bisht shared the clip featuring Muhammad Shan and Nikhil Verma. The three pose together in front of a barricade.

Bisht, Shan and Verma appear together as familiar music from their earlier protest reels plays. The caption “Ready for Season 2” playfully suggests a return of the viral faces.

Protesters shared videos set to trending songs and used humour and memes in their messaging. Abhinav Bisht’s reels helped him attract more than 9 lakh followers.

The July agitation focused on the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and demands for accountability in the education system, including calls for the education minister’s resignation.

The July protests centred on the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The October protest called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police denied permission for the Saturday protest, citing public-order concerns and procedural compliance. The capital also saw heightened security and restrictions.

Bisht, who gained a large following through reels filmed with fellow protesters, became one of the recognisable social media faces of the earlier agitation. His videos, set to the song Aaj Ruswa Teri Galiyon Mein Mohabbat Hogi, helped him attract more than 9 lakh followers.

In the latest clip, Bisht, Shan and Verma pose together in front of a barricade as familiar music from their earlier reels plays in the background. The setting and soundtrack give the video a nostalgic feel, bringing back memories of the July demonstrations, when protest footage, memes and music travelled well beyond the gathering itself.

Bisht also captioned the post “S1 players”, reinforcing the playful comparison between the protests and a series returning for another season.

Netizens react

One of the social media users commented, “Biggest collab ever”, another remarked, “Legends in one frame”. A third said, “Wildcard entry.” The viral video has garnered over 16 million views on Instagram.

Why the CJP protest faces went viral

The CJP’s July agitation centred on the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and demands for accountability in the education system, including calls for the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Students, job aspirants and other supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar, with some travelling from outside Delhi to participate.

The protests also developed a strong online presence. Participants shared videos, used trending songs and incorporated humour and memes into their messaging, helping individual protesters become recognisable beyond the protest site.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X