The controversy erupted during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15, when the Chief Justice, while referring to individuals allegedly using fake professional degrees, remarked that ‘youngsters like cockroaches’ enter media and other professions to ‘attack the system. ’
"There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment and don't have a place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone. and you people file contempt petitions,” he said, as reported by ANI.
Though Justice Kant later clarified that his comments were directed at those using fraudulent degrees and not unemployed youth in general. “What I had specifically criticised were those who have entered professions like the Bar (legal profession) with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites," he added.
How the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ was born
Across social media platforms, many young Indians, particularly students, unemployed graduates, activists and content creators, interpreted the remark as insulting and demeaning. Within hours, memes, parody posters and satirical slogans flooded the internet, eventually leading to the creation of the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’, a mock political movement that has now evolved into a full-fledged online movement.
Who started the Cockroach Janta Party?
The movement was launched by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old digital media strategist from Maharashtra and a former member of the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media team. Dipke is currently based in the United States after pursuing public relations studies at Boston University.
He posted a message on X, asking, “What if all cockroaches come together? ” The sarcastic post soon exploded into a viral campaign. In just a few days, the party’s online membership reportedly crossed tens of thousands, while its INSTAGRAM and X accounts attracted massive followings.
The CJP X account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand, Dipke said. Cockroach Janta Party has surpassed BJP on Instagram with 13. 2 million followers as of May 21, while its X handle had 165. 5K followers.
Dipke said that now attempts have been made to hack Instagram account of CJP. He also shared a screenshot on X.