The Cockroach Janta Party website no longer exists; founder says 'cockroaches never die'

The Cockroach Janta Party website was taken down on Saturday 23rd May. The founder of the satirical “party” turned online political movement, Abhijeet Dipke, took to social media to attack the government for taking down the site, saying: “Cockroaches never die. 🪳”

“Government has taken down our iconic website – 10 Lakh cockroaches have registered on our website has members. 6 Lakh cockroaches have signed a petition demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation,” Dipke wrote on X.

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

In a scathing attack on the government, Dipke asked, “Why is the government so afraid of cockroaches? But this dictatorial behavior is an eye-opener for the Indian youth. Our only crime is that we demanded a better future for ourselves.”

“But you can’t get rid of us that easily. We’re just working on a new home. Cockroaches never die,” said the founder of the website and online political movement.

“Interruption at Janta’s Cockroach Party”

Abhijeet Dipke had earlier claimed that ‘Cockroach Janta Party’s Instagram account was hacked and his X account was seized. He added that his personal Instagram account was also hacked and “the backup account (was) also removed.

“Please note that we currently do not have access to any of our platforms. Any post made thereafter should not be considered an official statement from Cockroach Janta Party,” the founder said earlier in the day.

Read also | Janta Party X cockroach account detained in India

In another attack on the BJP-led Centre, Dipke said, “Action should have been taken against the education minister for the paper leak. For the student who lost his life because of the government’s failure.”

“But in New India, action is being taken against the Cockroach Janta Party for demanding accountability,” he added.

What is Cockroach Janta Party?

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which was started as a ‘joke’ after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s controversial ‘parasitic’ remark, turned into an online political movement within a day.

CJP was founded by 30-year-old Abhishek Dipke, who recently completed a master’s degree in Public Relations from Boston University in Massachusetts, USA.

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

He introduced himself as “the voice of the lazy and unemployed” and sparked intense discussion among netizens. On its website, the “party” said its mission was to “create a party for young people who are constantly labeled lazy, chronically online and — most recently — cockroaches. That’s it. That’s the mission. The rest is satire.”

In just 24 hours, “over 10,000 cockroaches” joined his Twitter account and “over 13,000 cockroaches” on Instagram.

Read also | Who is Abhijeet Dipke? The brain behind the viral ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ campaign

We hit 1 million registered cockroaches on our website in less than a week… The movement continues to grow despite all the crackdowns!, “party” posted on X on May 23rd.

The ‘party’ also received support from Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has also extended his support to the movement.

In a social media post, Tharoor said he was “incredibly impressed” by the movement, which he claimed had amassed more than 15 million followers on Instagram in just five days.

“I understand the frustration of young people and I understand why they resonate with it,” he wrote on May 21, arguing that limiting the group’s account to X would be “disastrous and profoundly unwise.”