The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is an Indian satirical political movement founded on 16 May 2026 by Abhijeet Dipke. The party emerged as a satirical response to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on 15 May 2026, in which he compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”.
๐ชณ Origin and Founding
During a Supreme Court hearing on 15 May 2026, Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked: “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in profession.” The following day, Abhijeet Dipke announced the launch of a “platform for all the ‘cockroaches’ out there” on X.
The party’s website went live on 16 May under the tagline “Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed”. Within 48 hours, the movement claimed over 40,000 registered members, with later reports suggesting figures exceeding 70,000.
๐ Growth and Reach
As of 20 May 2026, the movement had amassed over 8 million followers on Instagram and over 150,000 followers on X. The party claims to have registered over 350,000 members through online forms.
In Maharashtra, Sourabh Mirajkar is managing the Cockroach Janta Party in Ichalkaranji and M. Mufassir. The movement has since spread to several states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
โ๏ธ CJI’s Clarification and Response
Following the backlash, Chief Justice Surya Kant issued a clarification on 16 May, stating that his remarks had been misquoted. He said he was specifically criticising individuals who had entered the legal profession using fake and bogus degrees, not the country’s unemployed youth.
Dipke responded to the clarification on X, stating: “I have my differences with the PM but I believe the CJI has no right to insult him. Not having a legitimate degree does not give anyone the right to call fellow citizens ‘parasites’.”
๐ Structural Issues and Context
India’s graduate unemployment rate stands at 29.1 per cent, nine times higher than the unemployment rate for individuals who never attended school. The country produces more than 8 million graduates annually, but the economy has not generated sufficient jobs to absorb them.
In the week leading up to the CJP’s founding, nationwide protests erupted over the cancellation of the NEET-UG following allegations of a paper leak. The CJP released a protest song titled “Haan Main Hoon Cockroach” directly referencing the NEET paper leak.
๐ Manifesto and Demands
The CJP’s first manifesto demand is that no Chief Justice shall be granted a Rajya Sabha seat as a post-retirement reward. The party’s manifesto explicitly demands the cancellation of licenses for media houses owned by the Adani Group and Reliance Industries.
The party states it will not accept anonymous donations or electoral bonds. The CJP describes itself as “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth โ Secular, Socialist, Democratic, and Lazy.”
๐ณ๏ธ Electoral Ambitions
In May 2026, reports indicated that supporters of the CJP were considering fielding their first candidate in the upcoming Bankipur Assembly constituency by-election in Bihar. The proposed candidature was reported to be aimed at contesting against major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Jan Suraaj Party.
Within days of its launch, two Trinamool Congress MPs โ Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad โ expressed interest in joining the party. Moitra stated she wished to join “besides being a card-carrying member of the Anti-National Party”.
๐ Key Facts Table
| Category | Detail | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder | Abhijeet Dipke | 16 May 2026 | Text |
| Trigger | CJI Surya Kant’s “cockroach” remark | 15 May 2026 | Text |
| Instagram followers | Over 8 million | As of 20 May 2026 | Text |
| Registered members | Over 350,000 | As of 20 May 2026 | Text |