New Delhi, May 21: The X account of the satirical platform Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was withheld in India on Thursday, just a week after it went viral. Founder Abhijeet Dipke quickly launched a new account, ‘Cockroach Is Back’, which gained over 16,800 followers within an hour of its creation.
Dipke called the block a “self-goal by the government” and said the team plans to pursue the matter legally. He noted that attempts to hack the account the previous day were expected but the rapid growth of the platform may have caused concern.
CJP emerged following remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on May 15, who had described some young professionals as “parasites” and “cockroaches” amid a legal controversy. The CJI later clarified that his comments targeted individuals entering the profession through fraudulent degrees.
In just a few days, CJP attracted massive attention, drawing support from politicians, activists, artists, and social media users. While the X account is blocked in India, the Instagram page remains active with 14.3 million followers, surpassing even the Bharatiya Janata Party’s official account on the platform.
Dipke, previously associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, warned of hacking attempts on Instagram as well. Other related accounts—such as The Cockroach Youth, Cockroach News, and Cockroach Party of India—remain active.
Initially a satire project, CJP has evolved into a platform for political commentary using memes and graphics to address youth concerns like unemployment, exam paper leaks, and education reforms. Public figures, including TMC leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, and activists Prashant Bhushan and Anjali Bharadwaj, have engaged with the movement.
The CJP website describes the group as a “political party for the people the system forgot to count,” highlighting five key demands and calling itself the “Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed.”
