'Fear inherent in today's politics, want him to stay away': Abhijeet Dipke's parents as CJP explodes on the internet

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhishek Dipke’s parents fear their son could land in trouble or even face arrest after his satirical campaign became a rage on the internet, news agency PTI reported.

The Cockroach Janta Party has gained more than 20 million followers on Instagram since it was founded barely a week ago by former Boston University student Dipke, once associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The massive following on Instagram is far more than what India’s main political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress Party have on Meta-owned social media sites.

Read also | ‘Will be taken to Tihar’: CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke fears arrest on landing in Delhi

The 30-year-old Public Relations graduate’s parents Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told a Marathi news channel on Thursday that they did not want their son to enter politics. They said they lost sleep after learning about Abhijeet’s transfer.

Dipke, who moved to the US in 2023 for studies, said the campaign was born after the controversy over India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant using the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while invoking a lawyer for his application for appointment to the senior post.

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.

Read also | Shashi Tharoor backs Janta Party’s cockroach: “Opposition must take up this”

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

“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 do that. 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 said.

Dipke studied in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly known as Aurangabad, initially and later moved to Pune for further studies. Engineering was difficult for him, so he decided to switch to mass media, his mother said.

Dipke’s father Bhagwan said his son decided to study journalism abroad because his sister was already there. The father said he wanted his son to join a job in Pune or Delhi.

The parents said they first heard about CJP from a neighbor. “Later, one of my grandsons told me that he has more followers on social media than many prominent people in the country. He used to work with AAP. I told him even then that we are not going into politics and that he should do his service,” said Anita.

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

Bhagwan said CJP’s outburst on social media made him anxious. “I’m worried because he’s famous now. And such individuals are arrested. I haven’t slept for the last two nights worrying about what might happen to him. I hate politics and I’m not interested in it,” he added.

Using memes, CJP’s platform quickly gained ground through sharp political satire and commentary. Much of its content focuses on youth issues such as unemployment, exam paper leaks and education, wrapped in graphics, animations, manifestos and charter-style demands.

Dipke said in an interview that he fears he will be arrested the moment he lands in Delhi. Dipke, whose CJP took the internet by storm, currently lives in the US where he studied public relations.

“I could be arrested from Delhi airport”

Dipke, 30, was speaking to an independent news platform red mike, where he said he plans to return to India next month.

“I just had my graduation. I’m planning to come back to India next month. And as per the pattern, I’m sure the moment I land at the Delhi airport, I’ll be picked up by the Delhi Police and taken to Tihar,” Dipke said. Saurabh Shukla in the interview.

Read also | Cockroach Janta Party targets Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET row in new video

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 clique, “The Cockroach Returns,” which gained about 175,000 followers within 24 hours.

The suit against the earlier handle by the Union Government came after intelligence agency (IB) raised “national security concerns”, Indian Express he said today, citing a senior government official.