The X account of the rapidly growing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was withheld in India on Thursday, just hours after the satirical political movement overtook the BJP’s official Instagram handle in follower count, intensifying the buzz around the meme-driven Gen Z campaign.
The development was confirmed by party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who shared a screenshot showing the account blocked in India. Reacting to the move, Dipke wrote, “As expected, Cockroach Janta Party’s account has been withheld in India”.
The blocking came amid the meteoric rise of the Cockroach Janta Party across social media platforms. What began barely days ago as an online satire movement has now transformed into a full-fledged digital phenomenon, fuelled by youth frustration over unemployment, exam paper leaks, political discourse and institutional accountability.
The CJP recently crossed 10 million followers on Instagram, overtaking the BJP’s official account, which currently has around 8.7 million followers on the platform.
The Congress remains ahead with over 13 million followers, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) trails significantly behind.
Describing itself as “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth,” the Cockroach Janta Party operates with the slogan: “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy”.
The movement has blended humour, memes and political messaging to attract massive online engagement within days of its launch.
The name “Cockroach Janta Party” itself emerged as a satirical response to controversial remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing last week.
Referring to some unemployed young people and online activists, the CJI had allegedly compared them to “cockroaches” and “parasites”, triggering outrage online.
Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate and former Aam Aadmi Party social media campaign worker, later said the comments became the emotional trigger behind the movement.
“I think the remarks were more triggering because they came from the Chief Justice of India, who is the custodian of the Constitution, which grants us freedom of expression,” Dipke said in an earlier interview.
The Chief Justice later issued a clarification claiming his remarks were misquoted and were aimed only at individuals using fake degrees to enter professions.
However, the clarification failed to calm the online backlash, and the CJP continued gaining traction. Within just a few days, the party claimed lakhs of registered supporters and millions of followers across platforms.
The movement has also drawn engagement from prominent personalities, including activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, social activist Anjali Bhardwaj and Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, both of whom jokingly expressed willingness to “join” the outfit.
The party’s manifesto mixes satire with serious political demands. Among its proposals are a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha positions for Chief Justices, stronger accountability for the Election Commission, 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Cabinet positions, and reforms in media ownership and employment rights.
The CJP has also positioned itself as a voice for students affected by issues such as the NEET paper leak controversy and unemployment.
Dipke has repeatedly insisted that the movement is not merely a fleeting meme trend but a reflection of growing frustration among Indian youth.
Whether the Cockroach Janta Party evolves into a formal political organisation or remains an internet-driven protest movement is still unclear.
But with its X account now blocked in India and its social media reach continuing to expand, the CJP has firmly entered the national political conversation.
Source: India Today
