Cockroach Janata Party’s X Account Restricted in India After 13 Million Instagram Followers Surpassing BJP

The X account of the viral satirical political Cockroach Janata Party was withheld in India on Thursday, May 21, with founder Abhijeet Dipke confirming the development through a post on social media.

Sharing the update publicly, Dipke wrote, "As expected Cockroach Janta Party's account has been withheld in India."

Users attempting to access the Cockroach Janata Party account on X from India are now seeing a notice stating that the handle has been withheld in response to a legal demand.

The development comes at a time when the satirical party's Instagram account continues witnessing explosive growth online. The Cockroach Janata Party Instagram page has now crossed 13 million followers, surpassing even the official Instagram handle of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The satirical political platform became one of India's biggest online talking points within days, especially among younger users. Its rapid rise was fuelled by political memes, criticism around unemployment, institutions and media independence, along with strong social media engagement.

Abhijeet Dipke, originally from Maharashtra, launched the Cockroach Janta Party as a satirical youth-focused online movement. The page went viral after controversy surrounding CJI Surya Kant remarks allegedly involving the words "cockroaches" and "parasites" triggered widespread debate online.

While the X account has now been restricted in India, the Instagram account remains active and continues attracting large numbers of followers and interactions.

The satirical political movement was launched on May 16, just a day after controversy erupted over remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant involving the words "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing. The remarks triggered widespread debate online, especially among younger users.

Since then, the CJP has rapidly evolved from a meme-driven satire page into a wider online political movement discussing unemployment, institutional independence and media criticism.

According to reports, founder Abhijeet Dipke is a 30-year-old public relations student at Boston University. A report by The Hindu stated that Dipke had earlier volunteered with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party between 2020 and 2023.

The party's growing popularity has also attracted political attention. Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad are among the public figures who have reportedly been "admitted" into the satirical party online.

Despite the X restriction in India, the Cockroach Janata Party's Instagram account remains active and continues gaining followers rapidly. The movement, however, is not a registered political party and currently operates only as an online satirical platform.