Online movement born out of backlash over CJI remarks channels youth frustration, political satire, and distrust in institutions
A satirical online political movement called the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) has rapidly gained attention on social media, drawing thousands of followers and registrations within days of its launch.
The movement, launched by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke on May 16 through a Google form shared on X, emerged following online backlash over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
According to reports, the phrase “Cockroach Janta Party” was coined in response to criticism surrounding oral observations linked to the Chief Justice, which were widely interpreted online as referring to unemployed youth entering professions such as journalism, law, and RTI activism as “cockroaches” and “parasites.” The Chief Justice later clarified that the remarks were directed at individuals using fake degrees to enter such professions and not at unemployed youth.
However, the controversy continued to gain traction online, with Dipke’s satirical initiative quickly turning into a wider digital movement expressing frustration among sections of youth over politics and institutions.
Within hours of the Google form being shared, the initiative reportedly received over 5,000 registrations. The group now claims tens of thousands of members and has attracted significant engagement on social media platforms.
The organization describes itself with the slogan: “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy,” and calls itself “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth.”
Its social media presence has also drawn engagement from public figures including social activist Anjali Bhardwaj, Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, and former civil servant Ashish Joshi.
The group has also circulated an AI-generated anthem online with the line, “We are Cockroach Party, we are children of a burning city.”
Dipke, who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in public relations at Boston University, had previously volunteered with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023.
The party’s five-point manifesto includes proposals such as reserving 50 per cent of Cabinet positions for women, imposing a 20-year ban on elected representatives who switch political parties, and barring post-retirement Rajya Sabha appointments for Chief Justices.
While largely satirical in nature, the online popularity of the initiative has highlighted growing use of humour and political parody by sections of Indian youth to express dissatisfaction with institutions and contemporary politics.
