‘Cockroach Janta Party’ X account blocked in India after surpassing BJP’s Insta followers

The X account of the rapidly growing satirical political movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was withheld in India on Thursday, hours after the outfit reportedly surpassed the official Instagram handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in follower count.

The development was confirmed by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who shared a screenshot on social media showing that the account had been blocked within India.

“As expected, Cockroach Janta Party's account has been withheld in India,” Dipke wrote.

The move came amid the rapid rise of the meme-driven youth movement, which has gained significant traction online over issues including unemployment, examination paper leaks, institutional accountability and political discourse.

The CJP recently crossed 10 million followers on Instagram, overtaking the BJP’s official Instagram account, which currently has around 8.7 million followers. The Indian National Congress remains ahead with more than 13 million followers on the platform, while the Aam Aadmi Party trails behind.

Describing itself as “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth”, the Cockroach Janta Party uses the slogan “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy”.

The movement emerged as a satirical response to remarks made last week by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing, in which he allegedly compared some unemployed youngsters and activists to “cockroaches” and “parasites”.

The remarks triggered widespread reactions online and became the catalyst for the creation of the digital movement.

Dipke, a Boston University graduate and former social media campaign worker for the Aam Aadmi Party, later said the comments struck a chord because they came from the country’s top judicial office.

The Chief Justice later clarified that his remarks had been misquoted and were directed only at individuals allegedly using fake degrees to enter professions.

The CJP manifesto combines satire with political demands, including a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha positions for Chief Justices, reforms in the Election Commission, 50% reservation for women in Parliament and Cabinet positions, and stronger employment and media ownership regulations.

The movement has also projected itself as a voice for students and young people affected by controversies such as the NEET examination paper leak and rising unemployment.