Cockroach Janta Party crosses 80,000 sign-ups as Abhijeet Dipke’s satirical movement goes viral online. Photos: X.
Abhijeet Dipke on May 16 shared a Google Form on X, inviting people to register for what he called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a mock political party to represent the “lazy and unemployed.” The post came a day after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant faced criticism over a “cockroach” remark he made. Dipke’s first post on X read, “Launching a new platform for all the ‘cockroaches’ out there. If you wish to join, hit the link below. Eligibility criteria are being unemployed, lazy, chronically online, and the ability to rant professionally.”
In another post, he wrote, “What if all cockroaches come together?”
The remarks quickly resonated online. Although CJI Kant later clarified that his oral observation was aimed at individuals using fake degrees to enter professions such as law and media, and not unemployed youth, the controversy had already gained momentum.
Within hours, Dipke’s registration form reportedly crossed 15,000 sign-ups.
By May 19, the number had surged to over 80,000 registrations, Dipke told LiveMint. The party’s online presence has also expanded rapidly, with around 12,000 followers on Instagram and 29,000 followers on X.
The satirical outfit describes itself as “the voice of the lazy and unemployed.
“The Cockroach Janta Party was supposed to be a joke. But I had not expected it would draw such an encouraging response. Seems the youth of our country identify with it,” Dipke said.
According to him, the reaction reflects growing disillusionment among young Indians.
“From the response, we have proof that the youth of the country are frustrated that they have no place in Indian politics. Nobody cares for them,” he said.
Dipke added that the Chief Justice’s statement merely acted as a trigger for the larger sentiment already present among young people.
The online campaign has not only attracted young users but has also caught the attention of political leaders and public figures.
Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad publicly expressed interest in joining the satirical party.
Kirti Azad responded by asking what “qualifications” were needed to join the CJP, while Mahua Moitra reposted one of the party’s posts and wrote that she too would like to join “besides being a card-carrying member of the Anti-National Party.”
The party’s X handle welcomed the Krishnanagar MP, saying, “You are the fighter democracy needs, Mahua Moitra. Welcome to the CJP.”
Welcoming Bardhaman-Durgapur MP Kirti Azad, the account wrote, “Winning the 1983 World Cup is a good enough qualification.”
Apart from the two TMC MPs, several prominent personalities have interacted with the party online, including social activist Anjali Bhardwaj and former civil servant Ashish Joshi.
Abhijeet Dipke is a 30-year-old student currently studying in the United States. He recently completed a two-year master’s degree in Public Relations at Boston University.
Before moving to the US, Dipke studied journalism in Pune. Between 2020 and 2022, he volunteered with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party.
During the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, Dipke, then a 24-year-old journalism graduate, played a key role in shaping the party’s meme-driven online campaign strategy. The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, went on to win the February 2020 Assembly polls.
In 2023, Dipke returned to his hometown of Aurangabad to prepare his applications for graduate studies in the United States.
Now that he has completed his degree, Dipke says he is overwhelmed by the response the initiative has received and is considering taking the movement further after returning to India.
“I have a lot of pressure. I get hundreds of messages. I cannot disappoint those who have responded. I think I will be in India soon and we will think what to do with the movement. We have 80,000+ sign-ups. It can’t be left as such,” said Dipke, who describes himself as the founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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