The rapid rise of the “Cockroach Janta Party” online protest movement seems to have angered India’s leaders

New Delhi – The Indian political establishment has a cockroach problem, and the government seems to be taking it seriously. This attack is not for insects, but millions of young Indians who have participated in the online protest movement.

On Thursday, the account of “Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)” was blocked by X.

The CJP was launched last week as a satirical protest against the remarks of the country’s chief justice, Surya Kant, who was widely reported to have called India’s unemployed youth “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing.

The tongue-in-cheek internet sarcasm has impressed. Within days of its launch, the fake party had gained more followers on other social media platforms than India’s major political parties.

As the online discourse grew, Kant tried to shut it down, insisting that he did not call unemployed youth fake animals, those who get jobs with fake degrees.

“What I criticized the most are those who have entered jobs such as the bar with the help of fake and bogus degrees. People like these have sneaked into social media, social media and other high-level sectors, that’s why they are like parasites. There is no basis at all to suggest that I criticize the youth of our nation,” he said.

But the army of Internet cockroaches had grown to millions.

Abhijeet Dipke, an Indian student studying public relations at Boston University, launched an online party on May 16 – in response to what the judge said was a symbol of youth anger. The fake party describes itself as “a political party for the youth, for the youth, for the youth” – and “The Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed.”

The party’s name and symbols appear to be a mockery of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). The word “Janta” means people, and AI-generated images of the CJP leader are now all over Indian social media.

CJP’s Instagram account has gained over 20 million followers in less than a week, more than double the number boasted by the BJP, which has been around for over 40 years. And more than 13 million supporters of the opposition party, the Indian National Congress.

Dipke said on Thursday there were attempts to hack the CJP’s Instagram account.

Officials may fear that what remains a satirical online protest could turn into something bigger, in a long-suffering country. a history of violent street protests.

The government has not spoken publicly about the blocking of CJP’s account, but a government official was quoted by the Indian Express, on condition of anonymity, as saying that the national information and technology agency had been asked to block it.

“MetY [Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology] received input from the Intelligence Bureau to block X’s Cockroach Janta Party account, stating that it posed a threat to India’s sovereignty,” the official was quoted as saying.

Youth anger in India, fueled by high unemployment and perceived corruption, led to mass protests in neighboring Nepal last year that eventually toppled the government.

India has the largest youth population in the world, with an estimated 367 million people between the ages of 15 and 29.

Overall, the unemployment rate in India is 5.2%, according to the latest data from the Department of Statistics. While that number itself is insignificant compared to other large nations, given India’s population of around 1.4 billion, it translates into millions of people, and the youth are disproportionately affected.

A report published in March by Azim Premji University found that nearly 40 percent of students aged 15-25 and 20% of those aged 25-29 are unemployed, the highest figure seen among India’s uneducated youth. Only a fraction of graduates are able to find stable, well-paying jobs within a year, statistics show.

The cockroach group’s online content taps directly into the anger of those unemployed, with memes, fake campaign slogans and satirical comments about corruption, unemployment and political dysfunction.

“Unprecedented”

Dipke, the “founding president” of the CJP, said there are no plans to field candidates, calling the online organization an attempt to hold politicians accountable.

The CJP does not offer a five-point agenda or a manifesto, however, it calls for change in the real world. For example, it calls for a ban on post-retirement awards for judges, 50% of seats in the Indian parliament and the cabinet to be reserved for women, to protect voting rights, independent media, a 20-year ban on politicians who change parties, and others accused of making money.

“This is something that has never happened before. The plan is to change the political discourse and make politicians accountable,” said Dipke.

Some politicians believe that the government’s action against the CJP is a wrong move.

“Amazed by the growth of #CockroachJantaParty… I understand the frustration of the youth and I can see why they are responding to it. That is why the account blocked by X is a disaster and very unwise,” Shashi Tharoor, leader of the opposition Congress, wrote about X.

“There is nothing funny about it, it raises serious issues of youth in an intelligent way. Maybe that’s why the government is panicking,” one student from Delhi, who did not want to be identified, told CBS News on Friday.

Before moving to Boston, Dipke worked with the Aam Aadmi Party, a political organization that emerged from India’s anti-corruption movement in 2012 and fought tough elections against the capital’s major political parties.

Some critics suggest that the cockroach group is a political conspiracy against the ruling party.

On Friday, Dipke said he had received death threats and that his family in India was in danger. He urged the authorities to take action against those who issue threats.