Satirical ‘Cockroach Party’ X account blocked hours after surpassing BJP in Instagram followers
Cockroach Janta Party’s X account was withheld in India hours after satirical youth-driven movement overtook BJP’s official Instagram handle in followers, sparking massive online debate
PTC Web Desk: The X account of the fast-rising Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was withheld in India on Thursday, shortly after the satirical political movement crossed the BJP’s official Instagram handle in follower count, adding fresh momentum to the online buzz surrounding the youth-led campaign.
The development was shared by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who posted a screenshot indicating that the account had been blocked for users in India. Responding to the action, Dipke remarked that the move was “expected”.
The restriction came at a time when the Cockroach Janta Party has been witnessing explosive growth across social media platforms. Emerging only days ago as a meme-based satire page, the movement has rapidly evolved into a wider online campaign resonating with young users frustrated over unemployment, exam paper leaks and political accountability.
Earlier in the day, the CJP’s Instagram account crossed the 10-million follower mark, overtaking the BJP’s official Instagram handle, which currently has around 8.7 million followers. The Congress continues to lead among political parties on the platform with over 13 million followers.
Projecting itself as a youth-centric political movement, the group describes its ideology as “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy”, blending humour and sarcasm with commentary on contemporary political and social issues.
The unusual name of the movement traces back to recent remarks linked to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing. Certain comments allegedly referring to unemployed youth and online activists as “cockroaches” and “parasites” triggered criticism on social media, eventually inspiring the campaign’s identity.
Dipke, a Boston University graduate and former social media campaign worker associated with AAP, later said the remarks struck a nerve because they came from someone occupying the country’s highest judicial office.
Although the Chief Justice later clarified that his observations were directed only at people using fake degrees for professional gain, the clarification failed to contain the online reaction. In the days that followed, the movement drew lakhs of supporters and millions of followers across platforms.