The rise of CJP and its implications for mainstream politics

Neil Ray | Published: May 24, 2026 20:53:34

The exponential proliferation of followers of the satirical "Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)" on social media sites is a clear sign that people, particularly the young generations, are not happy with the existing system of governance in India. This parodic imitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has caught the imagination of Indian youths like wildfire. By Saturday, it amassed 21 million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands of members. No mainstream political party in India is even remotely compared to this number in terms of followers. But it is not a formal political party. An online movement of political satire, it pronounces an indictment on the traditional arrangement of political system called 'democracy'.
A political communications strategist and student at the Boston University, Abhijeet Dipke is the creator of this humorous nomenclature CJP. The origin of this cockroach coinage goes to the credit of that country's Chief Justice Surya Kant who allegedly compared unemployed young people drifting towards journalism and activism with cockroaches and parasites. Although he later clarified that he referred to those with fake and bogus degrees.
But by this time the damage was done. No one was ready to listen to such explanations. Both young and elderly people joined the chorus against this apparently derisive comment on unemployed youths. Clearly, such a controversial comment on young people was not to the liking of any segment of Indian society. It was uncalled for. Unemployment or a lack of opportunities is a problem facing the world at large. It is the governments' responsibility to provide them with jobs and this cannot draw flak from people in high position.
Ironically, cockroach is an insect that dates back to over 300 million years, predating dinosaurs. This is one of the most resilient pests the world has ever known. It has survived multiple mass extinctions, including the raining down of asteroids that wiped out dinosaurs from the face of this planet. This creature's ability to adapt to every terrestrial environment is phenomenal. So the satirical name of this informal party has a truth ingrained in it. Although, the intention of its founder may not have considered this aspect of resilience but it has however happened coincidentally.
The government of India should not feel comfortable with this CJP that has gone viral on social sites and it now seeks to stamp it out. Already it has been removed from X handles but it is going from strength to strength on the Instagram. On the face of it, it may look like one of the sweeping fads that take social sites by storm but the ugly truth inherent in today's perverse politics cannot be missed. The angry young members of society observe that politics bypass them if they are not diehard supporters of the ruling party.
Generation Z or Gen Z in short, gives through this huge following a message most stark and disturbing. The old guards fail to appreciate the young people's attributes and often undermine their potential. But the members of Gen Z are a force to reckon with. What happened in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can more than vouchsafe for their unlimited energy and fighting power. There is a need for governments everywhere to stay cautioned particularly when the two sides confront each other.
The way this generation sees the world through their digital telescope is clear enough and political manoeuvres political governments resort to may fall short of meeting the challenge. The president of the most powerful nation is behaving like a crazy guy and the inconsistency in his policies and actions should have by now prompted the generation to reject him. Even if it does not happen now, most likely the Gen Z will dump him in the dungeon of history. The Cockroach Janata Party may prove a point if it influences political parties in opposition to adopt the strategy it successfully applied. The established political order may go into pieces before the 'cockroaches' breathe fresh air into politics of the largest democracy in the world.
nilratanhalder2000@yahoo.com