Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University student, says the Indian government removed the website of his satirical Cockroach Janta Party after it gained millions of followers online. The movement, launched after remarks by Chief Justice Surya Kant likening some unemployed youth to cockroaches, has amassed over 22 million Instagram followers and reports one million registrations. CJP organizers say 600,000 people signed a petition calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amid allegations of leaked exam papers.
Satirical 'Cockroach Janta Party' Founder Alleges Indian Government Took Down Movement's Website
An image on the website of the Cockroach Janta Party [Screengrab/cockroachjantaparty.org]
Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University student who created the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), says authorities removed the movement’s official website after the campaign gained rapid online traction.
Dipke told followers on X (formerly Twitter) that the CJP’s “iconic” site had been taken down and that both his personal Instagram and the CJP’s Instagram account were hacked. The CJP’s page drew more than 22 million followers within a week of launch, a striking figure compared with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) roughly nine million Instagram followers.
Origins and Demands
Dipke launched the movement and its social accounts in response to comments by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who earlier this month compared unemployed young people to cockroaches. Kant later clarified that his remarks targeted those who obtain fraudulent degrees and praised India’s youth as “the pillars of a developed India.”
The CJP says about one million people registered with the movement in its first week and that some 600,000 people have signed its petition calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. The demand for Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests after allegations that exam papers were leaked, prompting cancellation of a government-run medical entrance test.
Reaction and Context
Dipke has framed the CJP as political satire and civic protest. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said the movement challenges a perception that “those in power think citizens are cockroaches and parasites.” He added:
“They should know that cockroaches breed in rotten places. That’s what India is today.”
The CJP initials deliberately echo the BJP acronym, a move that highlights the group’s satirical intent and its direct critique of the ruling party. While Dipke’s claims about the website takedown and account hacks have been widely shared online, independent verification of government involvement has not been provided in his posts.
What to watch: Whether the movement sustains its rapid growth, how authorities respond to claims of takedowns and hacks, and whether the petition and protests lead to any official action regarding the alleged exam-paper leaks.
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