Shashi Tharoor backs Cockroach Janta Party, says youth need space for dissent: ‘Opposition must seize this’
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has reacted to the rapid rise of the satirical online movement ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), saying the phenomenon reflects growing
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has reacted to the rapid rise of the satirical online movement ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), saying the phenomenon reflects growing frustration among young people and should not be suppressed. In a post on social media, Tharoor said he was ‘incredibly intrigued’ by the movement, which he claimed amassed more than 15 million followers on Instagram within just five days. “I understand the frustrations of the youth and see why they are resonating with it,” he posted on 21 May, arguing that restricting the group’s account on X would be “disastrous and deeply unwise.” Tharoor shared the remarks from an interview with The Indian Express hours after the CJP X handle with over 200,000 followers was withheld in India.
The CJP came with another handle, which has already crossed 100,000 followers in less than 24 hours. CJP's Instagram handle has over 18 million followers as of now. “This is precisely why the account being withheld on X is disastrous and deeply unwise - there should be an outlet for the youth to express their feelings and so, let CJP’s account function instead of shutting it down,” Tharoor said, adding that democracies must provide space for “dissent, humour, satire and even frustration." While uncertain about the long-term future of the movement, the Congress MP said he hoped the energy behind CJP would eventually translate into democratic participation, either through mainstream politics or through voting.
“This is an opportunity that the Opposition must seize,” he added, suggesting that established political parties should pay attention to the sentiments driving the viral online campaign. The Cockroach Janta Party emerged as a satirical digital collective following controversy over remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a recent hearing. Since then, the movement has gained significant traction on social media platforms, particularly among Gen Z users. NEET controversy a tipping point Tharoor said in the interview that the NEET paper leak row became the "straw that broke the camel’s back” for many young people already struggling with unemployment, inflation and uncertainty about the future.
“The NEET exam obviously was the straw that broke the camel’s back, but then you also had, I think, general unhappiness with unemployment, limited possibilities in life, education, everything else, inflation going up and the challenges of coping,” he said. This is precisely why the account being withheld on X is disastrous and deeply unwise - there should be an outlet for the youth to express their feelings. Tharoor said the rise of the CJP also showed how unconventional political messaging can quickly connect with young audiences online.
The BriefWire