Cockroach Janta Party: The trigger, manifesto, and future of India’s newest political satire movement

Abhishek Dipke, 30, had just completed his master’s in public relations from Boston University in Massachusetts, USA when an oral remark by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing allegedly compared young unemployed Indians to ‘cockroaches' went viral across India. Dipke, who moved to the United States for higher studies in 2023, responded by announcing a new platform for all the ‘cockroaches’ out there. He invited people to sign up through a Google Form shared on X. Also Read | Cockroach Janta Party’s X account withheld in India “If you wish to join, hit the link below. Eligibility criteria: • Unemployed • Lazy • Chronically online • Ability to rant professionally,” Dipke wrote, seemingly unaware of the viral movement the post would eventually spark. Within hours, Dipke says he got 15,000 registrations in the Google Form. Soon the name campaign came to be known as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). It had a twitter handle, an Instagram page and a website. Five days after the post, the online campaign with the unofficial party name, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has become one of the biggest Indian political campaigns on the internet in recent years. The party has 6 lakh registrations CJP’s Instagram account has crossed 13 Million followers, many lakhs more than Bharatiya Janata Party – worlds biggest political party in physical membership. The BJP has 8.7 million followers on Instagram. CJP’s X handle with 200K followers has, however, been withheld in India in response to a legal demand on 21 May. As CJP grows by leaps and bounds on the Internet, Kant has, in the meantime, distanced himself from the comments, saying he was misquoted. But what started as a joke, as Dipke says, has now become a full-fledged political movement on the internet. The NEET connection? Dipke’s internet joke appears to have struck a chord with young Indians. According to Dipke, nearly 94 per cent of the campaign’s followers are from India. The virtial campaign rose close on the heels of the cancellation of the Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026. The Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG medical entrance examination earlier in May, affecting nearly 2.3 million registered students, followed by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a widespread paper leak orchestrated via WhatsApp. CJP has demanded fixing accountability, including the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. What is the CJP Manifesto? The CJP’s name bears uncnny resemblance with the BJP, India's ruling party since 2014. Its website drscribes itself as the ‘Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed.’ The CJP manifesto demands include a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for chief justices, 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament without increasing the strength of the house, and a 20-year ban on turncoats during elections. View full Image View full Image The CJP manifesto demands include demands such as a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for chief justices, 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament without increasing the strength of the house, and a 20-year ban on turncoats. “The response we got is the manifestation of the frustration that India’s youth are feeling. It is primarily because they think no political party would think about them. They are feeling the heat of rising costs of living and unemployment,” Dipke told LiveMint from the US. Inspired by Gen Z protests in Bangladesh, Nepal? Many in India started comparing it with Gen Z-led protests, which have toppled governments in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh in recent years. In September 2025, large-scale anti-corruption protests took place all across Nepal, predominantly organised by Gen Z students. The situation escalated, with protests against public officials and vandalism of government and political buildings taking place throughout the country. On 9 September 2025, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with a few government ministers, resigned. A new government led by former rapper Balendra Shah came to power in Nepal in March. A similar youth-led violent protest led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh in August 2024. But CJP founder Dipke has writes off these comparisons. “Let me make this absolutely clear, do not insult or underestimate the Gen Z of India by making such comparisons. The youth of this country are far more mature, aware, and politically conscious than many give them credit for. They understand their constitutional rights and will express their dissent through peaceful and democratic means,” he said. Support and criticism TMC politicians Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad were among the first mainstream politicians to extend their support for the party, apart from many celebrities in Bollywood like Anurag Kashyap and Konkona Sen Sharma joining the social media buzz. Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has also supported CLP. Yadav wrote on X ‘BJP बनाम CJP’ which means BJP vs CJ