"they don't feel heard or represented."
Indian politics has acquired an unusual new mascot: the cockroach.
A satirical collective inspired by the insect has gained millions of online followers in under a week, drawing mainstream political attention in India.
The movement centres on the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a parody group that has quickly gone viral across social media.
It emerged after comments by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant during a court hearing. He allegedly compared unemployed young people drifting towards journalism and activism with cockroaches and parasites.
He later clarified that he was referring specifically to people with “fake and bogus degrees”, not India’s youth more broadly.
However, his remarks had already spread widely online, triggering backlash and satire.
The CJP was created soon after, using the name as a parody of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed India since 2014.
Critics and rights groups have long alleged declines in press freedom and civil liberties under the BJP government, claims the party denies.
The CJP is not a formal political party. It is an online movement built around satire and digital political commentary. Its membership criteria include being unemployed, lazy, chronically online and having “the ability to rant professionally”.
It was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and student at Boston University.
Before moving to the US, he worked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which emerged from India’s anti-corruption movement and is known for its strong digital presence.
The project escalated rapidly.
Within days, it gained tens of thousands of sign-ups via a Google form and the hashtag #MainBhiCockroach. It also received endorsements from opposition figures.
Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav posted on X: “BJP v CJP.”
The satire also moved offline, with volunteers appearing dressed as cockroaches at clean-up drives and protests.
By Thursday, the CJP’s Instagram account crossed 10 million followers, overtaking the BJP’s official Instagram account, which has around 8.7 million followers.
Despite its scale online, there is no clear evidence yet that the movement is translating into political change.
The BJP and the opposition Indian National Congress remain dominant with large grassroots organisations.
Still, the CJP has gained attention across political and legal circles.
The movement also reflects wider frustration among young Indians who are highly active online but often feel excluded from formal politics.
A recent survey found that 29% of young Indians avoided political engagement, while only 11% were members of a political party.
Dipke said: “People are frustrated because they don’t feel heard or represented.”
The Cockroach Janta Party’s rapid rise reflects not necessarily a demand for a new party, but a search for language to express political frustration.
However, some expect it to fade once online attention shifts.
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