India, July 26 -- Congress and AAP face off over influence as CJP protest gains political attention.

The stage at Jantar Mantar was meant to amplify a youth-led protest, but it soon became the backdrop for an old political rivalry. As the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered supporters in the capital, tensions between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) surfaced publicly, with both parties facing accusations of attempting to claim ownership of an agitation that began outside the traditional political establishment.

The growing presence of leaders and supporters from both parties at the protest site has triggered a debate over whether opposition parties are supporting a grassroots movement or attempting to use it as a political pl...