Highlights
- India's chief justice sparked outrage by comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches in open court
- A Boston University student turned the insult into a spoof party that outgrew India's ruling BJP on Instagram in five days
- India's government withheld the party's X account; the founder launched a new one the same day under the tagline Cockroaches Don't Die
- The founder, Abhijeet Dipke, says he expects to be arrested the moment he lands in India
A SATIRICAL collective born from a supreme court controversy has overtaken India's ruling party on social media in under a week — and its founder now fears arrest.
A throwaway remark by India's chief justice has given rise to one of the country's most unusual political phenomena: the Cockroach Janata Party, a satirical online movement that has amassed more than 16 million Instagram followers in less than five days, outpacing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on the platform.
The movement was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, 30, a political communications strategist and Boston University student currently based in the US. Before moving to America, he worked in digital campaign strategy for the Aam Aadmi Party, the anti-corruption movement-turned-political party.
The spark came last Friday (15), when chief justice of India Surya Kant, during an open court hearing, compared unemployed young people drifting towards journalism and activism to "cockroaches" and "parasites."
He later said he had been misquoted and that his remarks were directed specifically at people entering the legal profession with "fake and bogus degrees." By then, the damage — or depending on one's view, the opportunity — was done.
Dipke posted a single line on X: "What if all cockroaches come together?" The response was immediate. Within days, he had set up a website, Instagram and X accounts for the Cockroach Janata Party.
The party's tagline: Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed. Membership criteria include being unemployed, chronically online, and possessing "the ability to rant professionally."
"People are frustrated because they don't feel heard or represented," Dipke told the BBC. "Gen Z has given up on traditional political parties and wants to create its own political front in a language they understand."
Abhijeet DipkePhoto: X/@abhijeet_dipke
The movement spread faster than anyone anticipated. By Thursday (21), the CJP's Instagram account had crossed 15.6 million followers, surpassing not only the BJP's 8.7 million but also the opposition Congress party's 13.3 million.
More than 350,000 people signed up through a Google form. The hashtag #MainBhiCockroach — meaning "I too am a cockroach" — spread widely. Young volunteers appeared at clean-up drives and protests dressed as cockroaches.
Opposition politicians took notice
Akhilesh Yadav, a senior opposition leader, posted simply: "BJP v CJP." TMC MP Mahua Moitra, activist Prashant Bhushan and politician Yogendra Yadav also expressed support. Yadav said in a video message: "Those who cannot take a joke are themselves a joke."
On Thursday, the CJP's X account, which had around 201,000 followers, was withheld in India "in response to a legal demand." Dipke responded by launching a new account under the name "Cockroach is Back," with the tagline Cockroaches Don't Die. Within a few hours it had gathered 39,000 followers. He described the restriction as "a self-goal by the government."
Dipke's concerns now extend beyond social media. "I feel that as soon as I land at Delhi airport, a convoy of Delhi Police will take me to Tihar Jail," he said.
Three separate individuals have also filed trademark applications with India's Trade Marks Registry seeking rights over the name Cockroach Janata Party.
Legal experts cautioned that filing is only the first step in a process that typically takes one to two years. "Being quick to file does not beat" genuine prior use, said Nilanshu Shekhar, founding partner at law firm KAnalysis.
The CJP's demands include accountability, media reform, electoral transparency and greater representation for women — tucked between jokes about doomscrolling and unemployment.
"I think CJP is just the beginning," Dipke said. "Young people are fed up with the current political system, and more youth organisations will come forward."
Sceptics argue the movement is less spontaneous rebellion than packaged digital politics, pointing to Dipke's professional background and AAP connections.
(with inputs from agencies)
