- Platform emerged from a courtroom controversy with judicial remarks.
The rapid rise of satirical digital platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on social media has left the parents of its founder Abhijeet Dipke anxious and fearful that his growing popularity could land him in legal trouble or even lead to his arrest.
The outfit, founded barely a week ago by Dipke, a student at Boston University and a former associate of the Aam Aadmi Party, has already crossed 19 million followers on Instagram through its political satire and meme-driven commentary.
Speaking to a Marathi news channel on Thursday, Dipke’s parents Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who reside in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said they never wanted their son to enter politics and had become deeply worried following his sudden online fame.
“If we look at politics nowadays, fear is natural, no matter how many followers he has. In one of his interviews, he himself expressed fear of being arrested after returning to India. We read about such incidents in newspapers,” Bhagwan Dipke said.
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‘We Just Want Him To Return Home Safely’
Dipke’s mother Anita said she hoped her son would focus on building a stable career rather than continuing in politics.
“We just want him to come home safely. Whether he continues in politics will be his decision, but we do not want him to pursue it. I do not know whether he will listen to us or not. I will not support him in this. I am worried about him,” she said.
She recalled that Abhijeet initially studied in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar before moving to Pune for higher studies. According to her, he later shifted his focus from engineering to mass media.
Bhagwan Dipke said his son chose to pursue journalism abroad because his sister was already living overseas. He added that he had hoped Abhijeet would eventually take up a regular job in cities like Pune or Delhi instead of entering politics.
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Family Learnt About CJP Through Neighbours
The parents said they first became aware of the Cockroach Janta Party through neighbours and relatives.
“Later, I was told by one of my grandchildren that he has more followers on social media than many prominent people in the country. Earlier, he had worked with AAP. Even then, I had told him that we were not into politics and that he should pursue a service,” Anita said.
Bhagwan admitted that the overwhelming popularity of the platform had left him distressed and that they have lost sleep.
“I’m worried because he is now famous. And such individuals get arrested. I have not slept for the past two nights worrying about what might happen to him. I hate politics and have no interest in it,” he said.
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CJP Emerged After Courtroom Controversy
According to Dipke, the idea behind the Cockroach Janta Party emerged after a controversy involving Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who was reported to have used the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while criticising a lawyer seeking senior designation.
The Chief Justice later clarified that he had been misquoted and said his remarks were aimed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees.”
Despite the clarification, the satirical platform, using a cockroach as its symbol, quickly gained traction online through memes, animations and political commentary targeting issues such as unemployment, examination paper leaks and the education system.
The platform’s content, often packaged as mock manifestos and charter-style demands, has resonated strongly with younger social media users and contributed to its explosive growth in recent days.
