Cockroach Janta Party Meme, protest, or Gen Z’s political wake-up call?

In just a week since its launch on May 16, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has amassed nearly 21.8 million Instagram followers, surpassing the online presence of some of India’s oldest and most established political parties and transforming an internet joke into one of the country’s most talked-about youth-led online movements.

The remark that sparked it

The movement emerged after remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a legal event sparked widespread criticism online. His comments, which referred to unemployed youth, activists and sections of the media as “cockroaches” and “parasites,” drew backlash from many who viewed them as dismissive and demeaning.

Within a day, the internet responded as Abhijeet Dipke, a political communication strategist and Boston University public relations graduate, launched the satirical online party with a 5-point manifesto.

Justice Surya Kant later clarified that his observations were directed specifically at fake degree holders entering the Bar and not at unemployed youth in general. But by then, the internet had already done what the internet does best. The insult had been reclaimed. The cockroach became a symbol. And the symbol became a movement.

Why young India connected with it

For many supporters, CJP is about recognition, the closest representation they have ever had. Psychologist Vyshnavi Gudivada believes the movement resonates because its appeal lies in providing a space where young people can express frustration over unemployment, corruption, examination paper leaks, rising living costs and political exclusion without needing institutional approval.

“It has made many young Indians feel seen, represented and politically included,” she says. “Anger is healthier for democracy than disengagement. At least engagement means you haven’t completely checked out.”

Referring to the recent suspension of CJP’s X account, she adds: “If this is merely an internet meme, why are they so eager to shut down its voice? The fact that it is generating such a strong reaction says something in itself. Whether one agrees with the movement or not, it has clearly touched a nerve among young people.”

Turning an insult into identity

Among the movement’s more unusual voices is Hyderabad-based drag artist Patruni Sastry. For Sastry, the cockroach is not an insult but a metaphor. “I identify as a cockroach because cockroaches survive. They adapt to hostile spaces, build communities in abandoned corners and refuse to disappear no matter how often society tries to crush them.” For activists, creators, journalists and marginalised communities who often rely on social media as their primary platform for visibility, that symbolism carries particular resonance. “Social media was one of the first spaces where many of us could exist loudly,” Sastry says. “Maybe that is why people fear cockroaches — not because they are activists or creators, but because they refuse silence.”

Meme becomes civic action

Soon after CJP took over the internet, volunteers across the country began taking the movement offline. In Delhi, supporters dressed in cockroach costumes participated in clean-up drives along the Yamuna River. Similar volunteer-led activities, from public clean-ups to civic awareness campaigns, started appearing in different cities.

In Hyderabad, student led environmental organisation PRIJIVA has embraced the trend while continuing its ongoing civic work.

Founder Pavan says the group has been conducting weekly clean-up drives near the Salar Jung Museum bridge for the past five months, removing thousands of kilograms of waste through volunteer efforts. “We’ve been doing cleanup drives for months with very little engagement. We thought, why not use this trend to spread our message?” he says.

The irony, he notes, is hard to miss. “A meme movement is now helping mobilise people to clean public spaces, protect the environment and restore neglected heritage areas. It’s beautiful to watch satire helping birds, trees, peacocks and the environment.”

Satire as dissent

Social media influencer Shivani sees CJP as a reflection of widespread frustration among younger generations. “Socially, politically and economically, the frustration among youth is huge.”

“When dissent or critique is suppressed, people find creative ways to express their anger. Satire has the virality to penetrate deeply.”

For Shivani, digital spaces are not separate from politics but increasingly central to it. “We practically live on our phones. The news we consume, the opinions we form and the stands we take are shaped by what we see online.”

However, she warns that internet popularity should not be confused with genuine political transformation. “It is too soon to judge. It’s not even been a week. We need to see whether real conversations and actions emerge offline. We have to give it time.”

Meet the architect of CJP

Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communication strategist and public relations graduate from Boston University, launched the satirical online party along with a manifesto. Originally from Maharashtra, Dipke was previously associated with the social media operations of the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023. He has denied allegations that CJP is backed by any political party, maintaining that the movement is independent, non-partisan and critical of the political establishment as a whole.

On May 23, the CJP website was taken down after attracting over 10 lakh sign-ups within hours. Dipke described the action as “dictatorial” as the movement had faced other disruptions, including the hacking of its Instagram account and restrictions on its X account in India.