The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) removed Vijeta Dahiya from his position as spokesperson on Tuesday, days after videos surfaced showing him absent from a protest march during police action against agitators, followed by a clip of him eating a burger while responding to the backlash. As the controversy plays out online, attention has turned to the credentials that got him the post in the first place, credentials the party itself foregrounded when it introduced him as spokesperson on June 3.
A DTU degree and a research trail
Vijeta Dahiya is an alumnus of Delhi Technological University (DTU), one of India’s better known engineering institutions. When CJP announced his appointment, it framed this education as part of a broader profile, describing him as someone with extensive experience in political research and strategic analysis. Multiple media reports have since identified him as having contributed research and writing support to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, positioning him within a network of political content creators who work behind the camera as much as in front of it.This is the part of his background that CJP leaned on most heavily at the time of appointment. An engineering degree paired with political research work is an unusual combination, and it appears to be precisely what made him an appealing spokesperson: a candidate who could claim analytical rigour from his technical education while also having hands-on experience shaping political narratives online.
Beyond research: Authorship and film
Dahiya has also worked as a writer and filmmaker. He is the author of two books, Power of Universe and To Hell With That Job, both described in media reports as bestsellers. His filmmaking work includes writing and directing the Haryanvi films Darare and Opri Parai, placing him within regional cinema as well as digital political content.A resume built around research, authorship and analytical training was, at the time of appointment, evidence of suitability for a public-facing political role. Following the burger video and the party’s decision to remove him, the same credentials are now being scrutinised as the foundation of a public image that unravelled within weeks.
