Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

A newly formed satirical political outfit, the ‘Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’, has taken social media by storm, reportedly gaining millions of followers within just a few days following a controversy linked to comments attributed to Chief Justice Surya Kant.

By Wednesday evening, the party had amassed over 63 lakh followers on Instagram and around 1.26 lakh followers on X (formerly Twitter). In comparison, major political parties in India have significantly larger but more established online bases, including the BJP with 87 lakh and Congress with 1.32 crore Instagram followers.

The movement was started by Abhijeet Dipke, a Maharashtra-based youth who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Relations at Boston University. He was also previously a volunteer with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023.

Origin of the Movement

The controversy began after media reports on May 15 claimed that Chief Justice Surya Kant, during a hearing, allegedly compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches.” A day later, the CJI clarified that no such statement was made. However, a separate clarification later stated that his remarks were aimed at individuals entering professions using fake or fraudulent degrees, which he referred to as “parasites.”

Party Ideology and Manifesto

The CJP, which humorously defines its ideology as “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy,” has also released a manifesto with five key promises:

  • No post-retirement Rajya Sabha “rewards” for former CJIs

  • Strict punishment, including UAPA action, for deletion of valid votes

  • 50% reservation for women in Parliament and Cabinet without increasing seat count

  • Revocation of media licenses linked to major industrial groups and scrutiny of media bank accounts

  • A 20-year ban from public office for leaders who defect to other political parties

  • Founder’s Statement

    Abhijeet Dipke said the idea emerged after observing heated online discussions around the CJI’s remarks.

    “I saw the debate online where youth were being compared to cockroaches and parasites. I asked a question on X about what would happen if all ‘cockroaches’ came together. The responses from Gen Z were overwhelming. That’s how CJP was born,” he said.