The X account of the viral satirical group “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) was withheld in India on May 21, just days after the movement became one of the country’s biggest social media trends.
The online campaign started gaining attention after controversial remarks made by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a court hearing on May 15 sparked outrage across social media.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice said, “There are youngsters, like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The remarks quickly triggered criticism online, with many users calling them insensitive towards unemployed youth and independent voices on the internet. Although the CJI later clarified that his comments were aimed only at people with “fake and bogus degrees” and not the country’s youth in general, the backlash had already spread widely.
Soon after the clip went viral, the Cockroach Janta Party appeared online as a satirical response. The group describes itself as a movement for the “lazy, unemployed, chronically online and professionally frustrated,” and rapidly started trending across platforms.
The movement was launched by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and a student at Boston University. Before moving to the US, Dipke had worked with the Aam Aadmi Party, which is known for its strong digital campaigns and anti-establishment messaging.
Speaking after the controversy, Dipke said the comments felt more disturbing because they came from the Chief Justice of India.
“I think the remarks hurt more because they came from the Chief Justice of India, who is supposed to protect the Constitution and freedom of expression. Someone expected to defend people’s right to speak was comparing them to cockroaches and parasites,” he said.
Dipke also argued that if similar remarks had come from politicians, the reaction may not have been this strong. According to him, the outrage reflected the growing frustration among young Indians who feel disconnected from institutions and political leadership.
Within less than a week, the CJP saw explosive growth online. Its Instagram page crossed 14 million followers despite having only around 60 posts. Before being withheld in India, its X account had gained nearly 200,000 followers.
The movement drew even more attention after surpassing several mainstream political organisations in engagement and follower growth. In one viral Instagram post, after crossing the BJP’s 8.8 million Instagram followers, the page mocked the ruling party with the caption: “World’s largest party, they said.”
The CJP mainly uses humour, satire, memes and political criticism in its messaging. Its website describes the movement as “a political party for the people the system forgot to count,” adding: “Five demands. Zero sponsors. One large, stubborn swarm.”
The website also features a satirical manifesto with several controversial proposals. These include banning post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for Chief Justices, 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, strict punishment for politicians who switch parties, action against alleged vote deletion, and cancelling licences of media houses owned by large corporate groups.
Although the movement is not a registered political party, its sharp criticism of institutions and massive online reach have made it one of the most discussed digital campaigns in recent times.
After the X account was withheld, Dipke said the move was “expected” and claimed it showed authorities were becoming uncomfortable with the campaign’s popularity. He also called the restriction an “own goal,” saying it would only bring more attention and support to the movement.
Soon after the restriction, Dipke shared another post alleging that suspicious attempts were being made to access or hack the group’s Instagram account. A screenshot showing unusual login activity was shared with the caption, “hacker govt”.
The allegations triggered fresh debate online, with supporters claiming the actions reflected attempts to silence dissenting voices on social media.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice earlier issued a clarification saying sections of the media had “misquoted” his oral observations. He stated that his criticism was specifically directed at people using fake credentials to enter professions like law, media and activism.
“It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation,” the CJI said.
Despite the clarification, the outrage online did not fully die down. Instead, the Cockroach Janta Party continued growing rapidly, tapping into wider frustrations among young Indians over unemployment, rising competition, exam paper leaks, economic insecurity and the increasing role of social media in politics.
What first looked like just another meme page has now turned into a much larger digital protest movement, showing how satire, humour and internet culture are increasingly influencing political conversations in India.