Published May 21, 2026 | 3:25 PM ⚊ Updated May 21, 2026 | 3:25 PM
Screengrab shared by Abhijeet Dipke notifying CJP's account being withheld in India. Credit: x.com/abhijeet_dipke
Synopsis: India’s satirical political outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has had its official X account withheld after a legal demand, though its popularity continues to soar on other platforms. Founded by student Abhijeet Dipke after CJI Surya Kant’s “cockroach” remark, CJP has become a digital protest movement. Despite the ban, it boasts over 13.5 million Instagram followers, surpassing BJP, and still remains a potent youth voice.
The satirical political outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has had its official X account withheld in India following a legal demand, even as its popularity continues to soar across other platforms.
X confirmed the move, stating that accounts are withheld when “valid and properly scoped requests” are received from authorised entities or when content violates local laws. The account now displays the message: “Account Withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
Founded by Boston University student Abhijeet Dipke, CJP emerged after Chief Justice Surya Kant controversially likened unemployed youth to “cockroaches.”
The party quickly gained traction as a satirical protest movement, tapping into frustrations over unemployment, corruption, and governance failures.
Despite the setback on X, CJP has become a social media phenomenon.
On Instagram, it boasts over 13.5 million followers, surpassing BJP’s 8.8 million. Its meme-driven content and tongue-in-cheek membership criteria have resonated widely, with endorsements from public figures including Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and Prashant Bhushan.
Meanwhile, Dipke responded with irony, posting a screenshot of the withheld account and remarking that the move was “as expected.”
As expected Cockroach Janta Party’s account has been withheld in India. pic.twitter.com/44ymllnSMJ
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) May 21, 2026
Also Read: ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ crawls out of CJI’s ‘parasitic youth’ remark, goes viral
The spark for CJP came from live-streamed proceedings where the CJI dismissed sections of unemployed youth and activists in disparaging terms. Though he later clarified that his comments were aimed at fake degree holders, the damage was done.
Social media erupted with defiance: “I am a cockroach,” declared thousands of users, rallying under a new banner.
Digital activists and Gen Z users quickly formalised the protest into the Cockroach Janta Party, launched on 16 May. Its website describes the group as “voice of the lazy & unemployed,” with tongue-in-cheek eligibility criteria: members must be jobless, physically lazy, chronically online for 11+ hours a day, and capable of professional ranting.
Withholding social media accounts with dissenting voices is not new in India. The BJP-led Centre has time and again tightened regulation of online political satire, raising questions about freedom of expression in digital spaces.
