(Image source from: REUTERS)
On May 16, Abhijeet Dipke introduced the Cockroach Janta Party, a humorous online organization, in response to a controversy surrounding Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's comments regarding "parasites" and "cockroaches". Within just a few hours, the CJP became wildly popular online, attracting millions of followers on various social media sites. As of now, the CJP boasts over 19 million Instagram followers, outpacing all other political parties in India. On the platform X, it had accrued more than 200,000 followers before it was rendered inaccessible due to a legal request in India on Thursday. Dipke's political party has garnered backing from numerous politicians, activists, artists, and millions of individuals across social media channels. Abhijeet Dipke, who is said to be around 30 years old, has completed his undergraduate studies in journalism in Pune. He is allegedly pursuing a master’s degree in public relations at Boston University. Reports indicate that Dipke was affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from 2020 to 2023 and contributed as a volunteer on the party’s social media team.
He is said to have participated in meme-driven digital campaigning during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, which resulted in a victory for the party led by Arvind Kejriwal. According to its website, the Cockroach Janta Party describes itself as a "political entity for those overlooked by the system. " It refers to itself as the "voice for the lazy and unemployed. " According to the "eligibility criteria" listed on the CJP's website, individuals must be "jobless, lazy, and perpetually online," with a "talent for professional rants" in order to join the party. The organization gained popularity online for its pointed political satire and insights conveyed through memes. Much of its messaging focuses on issues relevant to the youth, such as joblessness, examination paper leaks, and educational matters, presented through visuals, animations, manifestos, and charter-style proposals. The satirical group was established following a controversy where Chief Justice of India Surya Kant utilized the terms "parasites" and "cockroaches" while reprimanding a lawyer for requesting a senior title.
"There are young people like cockroaches, who struggle to find jobs or fit into the professional world. Some of them become media personalities, some take on social media roles, RTI activists, and other forms of activism, directing their frustrations at everyone," he remarked during a hearing on May 15. The Chief Justice subsequently explained that he had been misquoted and that his statements were specifically aimed at individuals entering the legal field via "fraudulent and substandard degrees. " "I feel distressed to see that a segment of the media has misquoted my spoken comments made during yesterday’s hearing on a trivial case," he stated.
