Shashi Tharoor reacts to viral Cockroach Janata Party

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has reacted to the sudden popularity of the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP), a satirical political group that has gone viral on social media within days of its launch. Tharoor said he understands why many young people are connecting with the movement and believes it reflects growing frustration among the youth.

In a post on X, Tharoor said democracies should allow space for humour, criticism, satire, and public frustration. He also criticised the suspension of CJP’s X account calling the move “deeply unwise”. According to him, shutting down such platforms only increases anger among young people instead of giving them a space to express themselves.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP also said the rapid rise of CJP shows that many people are unhappy with the current political situation.Tharoor also said he is unsure about the future of the movement but hopes the youngsters behind it will bring this energy into mainstream politics or express it through voting to become a strong voice for change.

He added that the growing support for CJP is an opportunity that Opposition parties should understand and use wisely.

The Cockroach Janata Party was started by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke after CJI Surya Kant’s alleged remarks comparing unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites” sparked backlash online. The party used humour and memes to talk about youth frustration and unemployment.

Within just a few days, CJP gained huge attention online and now has millions of followers on Instagram. The group even mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party by claiming it crossed the BJP’s follower count in only four days.

Dipke has also alleged that attempts were made to hack the party’s Instagram account after its X account was suspended.