Metamorphosis: ‘Cockroach’ grows into giant on social media

Key points

• ‘Cockroach’ satire morphs into protest NEW DELHI: The X account of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party was withheld in India on Thursday even as its Instagram following crossed 18 million — more than that of BJP or Congress — by Thursday evening, within days of its launch.
• CJP's X page had amassed over 200,000 followers before being withheld due to “a legal demand”.Within hours, screenshots of the blocked account flooded social media platforms, fuelling claims the movement had “rattled” the “establishment”.
• The online movement emerged after clips of remarks by Surya Kant were widely circulated.
• After his remarks went viral, the said sections of the media had misquoted his observations and wrongly suggested that he had criticised unemployed youth.
• Cockroach Janta Party popped up on May 16, a day after the made his remarks, describing itself as “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth —...