'Will be taken to Tihar': CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke fears arrest on landing in Delhi after government crackdown on X handle

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical political campaign ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), said he was afraid of being arrested once he landed in Delhi. Dipke, whose CJP took the internet by storm, currently lives in the US where he studied public relations.

Speaking to independent news platform Red Mike, 30-year-old Dipke said he plans to return to India next month.

Read also | Why Govt asked X to freeze Cockroach Janta Party account

“I just had my graduation. I am planning to come back to India next month. And going by the pattern, I am sure once I land at Delhi airport, I will be picked up by the Delhi Police and taken to Tihar,” Dipke told Saurabh Shukla in an interview.

Dipke’s remarks came soon after Janta cockroach partyX’s handle, with over 200,000 followers, was suspended on May 21, five days after it was created. The campaign created a new handle with a different name, “The Cockroach Returns”, which has about 144 thousand followers in 24 hours.

“National Security Concerns”

The action against the Union government’s earlier action came after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) raised “national security concerns”.Indian Expresshe said today, citing a senior government official.

According to a report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked X hold satirical accountunder Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The official added that the impetus for this came from the IB as the central agency cited a threat to India’s sovereignty.

Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act empowers the central government to order intermediaries (such as ISPs, social media platforms and web hosts) to block public access to online information or websites.

The CJP’s campaign came in response to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant allegedly describing young, unemployed Indians as “cockroaches” during oral observations.

The meteoric rise of satirical digital outfit CJP on social media has left its founder’s parents overcome with fears that he could get into trouble or even face arrest.

Now popularly known as CJP, the outfit has amassed more than 19 million followers on Instagram since it was founded barely a week ago by Boston University student Dipke. CJP’s Instagram followers have surpassed major political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress party.

Parents lost sleep

Dipke’s parents, Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told a Marathi news channel on May 21 that they did not want their son to enter politics. The parents said they lost sleep after learning about Abhijeet’s transfer.

According to Dipke, the cockroach Janata Party was born after the controversy over India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who used the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while demanding a lawyer for his application for appointment to a senior post.

Read also | Janta Party X cockroach account detained in India

Although the CJI later clarified that he was misquoted and his remarks were aimed specifically at individuals who entered the legal profession through “bogus and false degrees”, the CJP, wearing the insect symbol, took social media by storm.

“If we look at politics these days, fear is natural, no matter how many followers he has. In one of his interviews, he himself expressed the fear of being arrested after returning to India. We read about such incidents in newspapers,” said Bhagwan Dipke.

Abhijeet’s mother Anita said she would like her son to stay away from politics and instead focus on getting a job.

Read also | Will the Cockroach Janta Party spark a Bangladesh-style Gen Z protest in India?

“We just want him to come home safe. If he continues in politics, it will be his decision, but we don’t want him to continue. I don’t know if he will listen to us or not. I will not support him in this. I am worried for him,” she told the channel.

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke faced casteist remarks on social media after he revealed that he is a Dalit in a tweet on Thursday.

Stand up to Dalit issues

I hope this answers all your questions.

While there was massive support for CJP, some users on social media questioned whether it would remain a satire or whether the party would become a reality. A user, Shut Up Counsel, also raised questions about the CJP’s stand on Dalit issues.

An hour later, Dipke, who is active in posting and responding to social media posts and reels, said, “I am a Dalit myself. I hope this answers all your questions.”

BJP MP raises questions on funding

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday took aim at Dipke over the CJP, claiming he is linked to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and questioning the funding of his reported trip to Boston, also citing possible foreign involvement.

In a post shared on X, Dubey accused AAP of trying to get support from foreign entities through Abhijeet Dipke and questioned the alleged foreign funding behind its activities.

Read also | After defeating BJP, Cockroach Janta Party overtakes Congress on Instagram

“Abhijeet Dipke is an Aam Aadmi Party worker, i.e. Arvinda Kejriwal ji. Who funded his trip to Boston? Is the Soros Foundation covering the cost of his stay and food? This is a warning to the opposition: Will you accept help from foreign powers to break the country?” Dubey.

In an interview with Red Mike, Dipke was asked about funding. “I want to tell those who think I have funds to give them to me so that I can pay off my outstanding education loan,” he said.