Cockroach Janata Party X account withheld in India, founder launches new handle

The satirical digital outfit Cockroach Janata Party said its X account was withheld in India on Thursday. Founder Abhijeet Dipke launched a replacement handle, “Cockroach is Back”, and said the team would pursue legal options. The new account again promoted calls for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.

The X account of Cockroach Janata Party, a satirical digital outfit that emerged last week, was withheld in India on Thursday. Soon after, a new handle appeared as Cockroach is Back with the tagline Cockroaches Dont Die. Founder Abhijeet Dipke said the team would pursue legal steps. The older handle remained viewable using VPN access.

Dipke called the move "a self-goal by the government\" and said hacking attempts were reported a day earlier. Dipke also said, \"I have now started a new account named Cockroach Is Back on X.\" Several other \"cockroach\" themed handles stayed active on X. These included The Cockroach Youth, Cockroach News, IAmCockroach, and Cockroach Party of India.

Cockroach Janata Party X account withheld in India

The replacement handle grew quickly through Thursday. It crossed 39,000 followers around 6 pm, within hours of launch. Late Thursday night, it had more than 91,000 followers. The new handle repeated a call for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. The demand was linked to the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.

Dipke said the earlier X handle had 201,000 followers when access was blocked in India. Dipke questioned action against what was described as satire. Dipke alleged fear drove the decision, claiming followers were rising daily. Dipke, earlier linked with the AAP, also posted that hacking attempts targeted the Instagram account.

Cockroach Janata Party Instagram followers surge

While X access was restricted in India, the Instagram page stayed active and expanded fast. By late Thursday night, it had over 18 million followers and was still rising. Around 6 pm, it stood at 15.6 million. The numbers placed it above the Congress account, which has 13.3 million followers.

A post from Cockroach is Back compared its Instagram following to the BJP’s official account. The BJP account has about 8.8 million followers on the Meta-owned platform. One post said, \"The reason why they blocked us,\" alongside an image of a cockroach eating a lotus flower. Another post read, \"You thought you can get rid of us? Lol,\"

Cockroach Janata Party origins linked to CJI remarks

Cockroach Janata Party began after a court-linked controversy involving Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The account appeared a day after remarks made on May 15. On that day, CJI Surya Kant said, \"There are youngsters like cockroaches, who dont 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.\"

The next day, the CJI issued a sharp clarification after reports on the remarks. The clarification said, \"I am pained to read how a section of media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday.\" Dipke said the remarks had been misread. The CJI also said the criticism was aimed at fake degrees.

Cockroach Janata Party satire and youth issues

The project started online but soon fed a wider debate on protest and humour. The platform relied on memes and political commentary. Many posts focused on youth concerns, including unemployment and exam paper leaks. Content was shared through graphics, animations, manifestos, and charter-style demands. Public figures also saw it as a form of digital dissent.

Politicians and activists engaged with the movement or commented on it. Trinamool Congress leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad interacted or showed interest. Activists named included Prashant Bhushan and Anjali Bharadwaj. Several critics questioned the blocking of the X handle. Some argued that satire should not face restrictions.

Cockroach Janata Party draws political reactions

Moitra praised Dipke and the follower growth. Moitra wrote, \"So much for haters and paid troll armies – truth and genuine followers win every time. CJP now has the largest number of Insta followers. Well done, Abhijeet Dipke,\" CPIML Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya criticised the block and urged X to restore access.

Bhattacharya asked, \"What if the CJP launches an unfollow campaign against the BJP and NaMo handles? X must respect internet freedom and restore the Cockroach Janta Party handle without any delay,\" Activist Yogendra Yadav shared a Hindi video message on the issue. Yadav said, \"Those who cannot take a joke are themselves a joke. The ban on the Cockroach Janata Party shows that the government may look strong, but it is hollow,\"

Congress leader Shahi Tharoor said the group’s rise was drawing attention. Tharoor warned that restricting the handle was a mistake. Tharoor said, \"I understand the frustrations of the youth and see why they are resonating with it. This is precisely why the account being withheld on X is disastrous and deeply unwise - there should be an outlet for the youth to express their feelings, and so, let CJPs account function instead of shutting it down! Democracies need outlets for dissent, humour, satire and even frustration,\"

Tharoor said he could not predict the movement’s future direction. Tharoor said the energy could enter mainstream politics or show in voting choices. Tharoor added, \"This is an opportunity that the Opposition must seize,\" Shiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi linked the trend to youth disappointment with parties.

Chaturvedi posted that parties needed to rethink how they approach young voters. Chaturvedi said, \"That a social media-created idea of CJP has taken the GenZ imagination by storm is a sad reflection of them losing hope in most of the current opposition parties,\" The criticism came as online discussion continued around satire, dissent, and political messaging.

Cockroach Janata Party website and stated demands

On its website, the group describes itself as a party for people \"the system forgot to count.\" It lists \"Five demands. Zero sponsors. One large, stubborn swarm.\" The site includes sections for a manifesto, vision, eligibility, and contact details. It also claims to be \"the Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed.\" The online presence kept drawing attention on Thursday.

By late Thursday, access limits on X had not stopped the spread of related accounts and discussion. The new handle kept adding followers, while Instagram continued to expand. Dipke maintained that the project was satirical and would be challenged legally. The episode also sparked debate on digital protest, humour, and restrictions on online political commentary.

With inputs from PTI