Cockroach Janta Party beats BJP on Instagram, crosses 10M followers
What's the story
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement, has crossed 10 million followers on Instagram in just five days. The account, @cockroachjantaparty, has surpassed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) official account, @bjp4india, which has around 8.7 million followers. However, it still trails behind the Indian National Congress's account @incindia with approximately 13.2 million followers.
Political landscape
CJP's rise against backdrop of established political parties
The CJP's rise is especially striking when compared to established political parties like the BJP and Congress. The BJP, founded in 1980, has over 140 million members globally but only has around 8.7 million followers on Instagram. In contrast, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has around 1.9 million followers on Instagram since its inception in 2012. This reflects how digital influence can now be built through meme culture, algorithm-driven virality, and a political satirical vocabulary that appeals to younger audiences.
Founder response
CJP launched after controversial comments by CJI Surya Kant
The CJP was launched on May 16 as a satirical youth movement after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made controversial remarks about sections of Indian youth. In his remarks, Kant said that "parasites" were attacking the system and compared the youngsters to cockroaches "who don't get any employment and don't have any place in a profession." The comments sparked outrage online and led to the formation of the CJP by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate.
Unresolved controversy
CJI later clarified his remarks were taken out of context
"There are youngsters like cockroaches who don't get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone," Kant said. Kant later said his comment was misquoted, saying it was targeted at some people who entered the legal profession and other fields using fraudulent degrees and did not target India's youth, whom he called "the pillars of a developed India."
Digital growth
Movement gaining momentum on multiple social media platforms
However, this clarification did not quell the online outrage, and the CJP's social media campaign continued. The movement has since evolved into a digital platform addressing issues like unemployment and political accountability. The CJP's digital presence has also expanded beyond Instagram, with over 180,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) by May 21. The movement has gained support from public figures like TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad.