It began as an internet punchline but has now turned into a youth movement of sorts. Young Indians are rallying around the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – a parody political movement that started as online satire but has rapidly become a vehicle for venting anger over unemployment, corruption and the state of our democracy. The movement, a cheeky riff on the name of Bharatiya Janata Party, has flooded social media with memes, mock campaign messaging and jokes carrying an edge of public frustration.
The movement’s rise traces back to comments made by Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, who compared some young people and critics of institutions to ‘cockroaches’ and ‘parasites’. “There are youngsters who, like cockroaches, don’t get any employment or have any place in the profession,” Kant had said. The remarks quickly ricocheted across social media, drawing criticism and meme-making in equal measure. Kant later said he had not intended to insult young people and that his comments were directed at individuals with fraudulent degrees. But by then, the internet had already done what it does best.
“We have to understand that, five years ago, nobody was ready to speak against Prime Minister Modi or the government,” says Abhijeet Dipke, founder, CJP. “The times are changing.” On Instagram, the movement has amassed roughly 20 million (and growing) followers – more than double the number for the BJP, which has about 9 million, and the Congress, India’s main Opposition party, which has about 13.4 million.
Dipke says none of this was intentional. “It is the younger people who were actually frustrated. They don’t have any outlet. They were really angry at the government,” he adds.
A political communications strategist and Boston University graduate, Dipke feels that the movement’s popularity reflects a shift in the political climate. He previously worked alongside the Aam Aadmi Party, which emerged from India’s anti-corruption movement in 2012.
According to Dipke, his social media accounts appear to have been targeted by hackers since the launch of the CJP. In a series of posts on X, he also posted a graph that he said showed nearly 95 per cent of the audience was from India, responding to claims that followers were coming from Pakistan.
The CJP’s official X account soon became inaccessible within India, though it remained visible elsewhere, prompting concerns among some Opposition members about freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy. “I understand the frustrations of the youth and see why they are resonating with it,” wrote Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, calling the account’s inaccessibility on X ‘disastrous’ and ‘deeply unwise’.
‘Pack of pests’
“There should be an outlet for the youth to express their feelings and, so, let CJP’s account function instead of shutting it down,” he wrote. “Democracies need outlets for dissent, humour, satire and even frustration.” The BJP, however, has been downright contemptuous of the CJP, with one leader describing it as a ‘pack of pests’.
The CJP has been quick to cash in on its popularity and even released a five-point manifesto, which began by announcing that, if the party comes to power, no chief justice shall be granted a Rajya Sabha seat as a post-retirement reward. Also, if any legit vote is deleted, then the CEC shall be arrested under UAPA, as taking away the voting rights of citizens is no less than terrorism.
Women shall receive 50 per cent reservation and not 33 per cent, without increasing the strength of Parliament. And 50 per cent of all cabinet positions shall be reserved for women. All media houses owned by Ambani and Adani shall have their media licences cancelled to make way for truly media. Any MLA or MP who defects from one party to another shall be barred from contesting elections and from holding public office for a period of 20 years.
The CJP is campaigning against Dharmendra Pradhan, the education minister, asking him to resign, with Dipke saying 600,000 people had signed the movement’s petition. Large protests have broken out across the country in recent weeks, calling for Pradhan’s resignation, after allegations surfaced that exam papers had been leaked, forcing the cancellation of a government-run medical entrance test.
“Those in power think citizens are cockroaches and parasites,” says Dipke, explaining the thinking behind his rapidly growing movement. “They should know that cockroaches breed in rotten places. That’s what India is today.” Naturally, the CJP, with its manifesto, demands and utterances, has raised the hackles of the BJP leaders.