Cockroach Janta Party returns after X block, says ‘you can’t silence memes’

PTC Web Desk: A new X account linked to the rapidly growing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) appeared online on Thursday, just hours after the group’s original handle was withheld in India. The development came as the satirical political movement continued to gain massive traction across social media platforms.

Soon after returning to X, the group shared fresh posts mocking the action taken against its earlier account. In one post, the party wrote, “You thought you can get rid of us? Lol.” Another post compared the Instagram follower counts of the BJP and the CJP, claiming the block was linked to the party’s growing popularity online.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also reacted to the development by sharing a screenshot showing that the original account had been withheld in India. He described the move as “expected” as conversations around the online movement continued to trend.

The Cockroach Janta Party has emerged as one of the fastest-growing political satire movements on Indian social media in recent days. What started as an online meme campaign has now evolved into a wider digital protest driven largely by young users raising concerns over unemployment, exam paper leaks, governance and institutional accountability.

The movement received another boost after the CJP crossed 10 million followers on Instagram, overtaking the official Instagram account of BJP, which currently has around 8.7 million followers on the platform. The Congress party remains ahead with over 13 million followers, while AAP trails behind.

Calling itself “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth,” the CJP uses the slogan “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy.” The movement has blended humour, memes and political messaging to attract millions of followers within a short span.

The name “Cockroach Janta Party” emerged after controversial remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a recent court hearing. According to social media users, some unemployed youth and online activists were compared to “cockroaches” and “parasites”, triggering widespread criticism online.

Dipke, a 30-year-old graduate of Boston University and a former social media campaign worker associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, later said the remarks became the emotional trigger behind the movement.

The Chief Justice later clarified that his comments had been misquoted and were directed only at people allegedly using fake degrees to enter professions. However, the clarification did little to slow the momentum of the online campaign.

The movement has also drawn reactions from several public figures, including activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, social activist Anjali Bhardwaj and Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, who jokingly expressed support for the outfit online.

While much of the movement’s communication remains satirical, the party’s manifesto also raises serious demands. These include greater accountability for the Election Commission, a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha positions for Chief Justices, stronger employment protections, media reforms and 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Cabinet positions.

The CJP has also positioned itself as a voice for students and young people affected by issues such as the NEET paper leak controversy and rising unemployment.

Whether the Cockroach Janta Party eventually turns into a formal political organisation or remains a social media-driven protest movement is still uncertain. However, with its online reach growing rapidly despite restrictions, the group has firmly entered India’s wider political conversation.