Viral ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ gains 80,000 followers, including two TMC MPs; founder says he didn't expect massive response

The now viral ‘Coackroach Janata Party’ that started as an online joke has received about 80,000 followers in just three days after its launch.

The satirical movement was created by former AAP social media worker Abhijeet Dipke. He made the account after Chief Justice Surya Kand likened unemployed youth in India to cockroaches. Amid the backlash, Dipke created the unofficial party, inviting the employed youth to own the title. 

What initially started as a satire and a joke has also turned into an actual movement offline.

On Monday, a group of youth volunteers carried out a cleanliness drive along the Yamuna reiver dressed like cockroaches and carrying pluck cards.

The clean-up initiative was a peaceful response to the CJI’s insult towards unemployed activist snad social media commentators.

The volunteers said that they chose to own the insult and turn it into pubic service.

Abhijit Dipke, who started the “political party” is currently studying at Boston University in the US.

It started with a form to sign up. Within hours of launching it, this form for joining attracted nearly 15,000 sign-ups

The tweets went so viral that Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad expressed interest in joining it.

“If you wish to join, hit the link below. Eligibility criteria: unemployed, lazy, chronically online, ability to rant professionally,” the post read.

Dipke’s satirical take on the situation went viral even as Justice Kant clarified that his comments were about people using a degree to enter professions such as law and media.

The CJP now had about 80,000 sign ups. On X, it has about 29,000 followers, and it instagram page had over 12,000 followers.

On the party’s website, it says it is “A political party for the people the system forgot to count. Five demands. Zero sponsors. One large, stubborn swarm.”

The party also has a manifesto like the other real parties It promises ‘50 per cent reservation for women’, action against ‘biased media and anchors.’

It also says ‘no Rajya Sabha seat’ for Chief Justices “post-retirement” to actions against political defections- the manifesto was quick to gain major attention. “Read it once. Read it twice. Then send it to someone who needs to read it,” it read.

The 30-year-old Dipke, said that the platform was the voice of the lazy and unemployed, in a interview with Mint.

He also said that the account was created on a completely random thought .

I think the biggest takeaway from the response is that young people in India are frustrated since no political party has done anything for them in the last few years. I think that is precisely why all have signed up as cockroaches,” he said.