A satirical online campaign titled the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) has witnessed a massive surge in popularity on social media, reportedly gaining nearly 3.7 million followers within 24 hours after controversial remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant triggered widespread backlash online.
The campaign, which began as an internet-driven protest movement, emerged after remarks made by Justice Kant during an open court hearing on Friday. During the proceedings, he referred to “parasites” attacking the system and compared certain unemployed youngsters to “cockroaches who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in a profession”.
The comments quickly drew criticism and sparked intense reactions across social media platforms, with many users accusing the remarks of being insensitive towards unemployed youth and struggling job seekers.
Justice Kant later clarified that his observations were directed at individuals allegedly obtaining fraudulent degrees and not at India’s youth in general, whom he described as “the pillars of a developed India”.
Also read: TMC MPs join ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ over CJI's remark
Despite the clarification, the remarks continued to fuel online debate, leading to the rapid rise of the “Cockroach Janta Party”, a tongue-in-cheek political campaign that uses satire to comment on unemployment, economic frustration and public anger over perceived elitism.
According to reports, the initiative was started by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old public relations graduate from Boston University.
Dipke reportedly posted on X on Saturday: “What if all cockroaches come together?”
He also circulated a Google form inviting people to join what he described as a platform for the “lazy and unemployed”. Reports claimed that more than 3.5 lakh people signed up for membership within days.
The phrase “Cockroach Janta Party”, commonly shortened to CJP, is widely being interpreted online as a satirical play on the name of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Several politicians and public figures are also reported to have associated themselves with the campaign online, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and former cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad.
Follow us
