The sudden popularity of the the satirical Coakraoch Janta Party on social media had left the parents of Abhijeet Dipke, the founder, concerned.
They worry that their son could land in legal trouble over his political satire content.
Dipke is currently a student at Boston University. He was also formerly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party.
His platform and new outfit, now called the CJP, have garnered over 19 million followers since it was founded barely a week ago.
Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told a Marathi news channel on Thursday that they were not keen on their son entering politics.
They said they have lost their sleep after learning about his latest move.
Dipke started the satirical Cockroach Janta Party after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant used the term “cockroach” to describe unemployed youth in the country. He later clarified that his remarks were directed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession through “fake and bogus degrees.”
However, by then, the CJP had already garnered tens of thousands of followers on X and Instagram.
“If we look at politics nowadays, fear is natural, no matter how many followers he has. In one of his interviews, he himself expressed fear of being arrested after returning to India. We read about such incidents in newspapers,” said Bhagwan Dipke.
Anita, meanwhile, said that the she didn't want her son to stay away from politics and focus on getting a job.
“We just want him to come home safely. Whether he continues in politics will be his decision, but we do not want him to pursue it. I do not know whether he will listen to us or not. I will not support him in this. I am worried about him,” she said.
Abhijeet Dipke initially studied in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar but moved to the US to study journalism as his sister was already there. The father said he wanted his son to take up a job in Pune or Delhi.
“I’m worried because he is now famous. And such individuals get arrested. I have not slept for the past two nights worrying about what might happen to him. I hate politics and have no interest in it,” Bhagwan added.
On the party’s website, it says Cockroach Janta Party is “A political party for the people the system forgot to count. Five demands. Zero sponsors. One large, stubborn swarm.”
