CJP founder’s parents lose sleep as ‘Cockroach’ sets social media on fire
The meteoric rise of satirical digital outfit Cockroach Janta Party on social media has left founder Abhijeet Dipke’s parents reeling from fears that he could get into trouble or even face arrest.
The outfit, now popular as CJP, has gained more than 19 million followers on Instagram since it was founded barely a week ago by Boston University student Mr. Dipke, formerly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party.
His parents, Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told a Marathi news channel on Thursday (May 21) that they did not want their son to enter politics. The parents said they lost sleep after learning about Mr. Abhijeet Dipke’s transfer.
According to Mr. Dipke, the cockroach Janata Party was born after a row over India’s chief justice, Surya Kant, who used the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while invoking a lawyer for his application for appointment to a 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 today’s politics, 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.
Mr. Abhijeet Dipke’s mother, Mrs. Anita Dipke, said that she would like her son to stay away from politics and focus instead on getting a job.
“We just want him to come home safely. It will be his decision if he continues in politics, 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 said.
The mother said that Mr. Abhijeet Dipke initially studied in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and later moved to Pune for further studies. Engineering was difficult for him, so he decided to switch to mass media, she said.
Mr. Bhagwan Dipke added that Mr. Abhijeet Dipke 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. Even then I told him that we are not going into politics and that he should do his service,” said Ms. Anita Dipke.
Mr. Bhagwan Dipke said that CJP’s outburst on social media disturbed him. “I’m worried because he’s famous now. And such individuals are arrested. I haven’t slept in the last two nights, worried about what might happen to him. I hate politics and I don’t care,” 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.
Earlier on Thursday (May 22, 2026), the X account was seized by the Cockroach Janata Party in India. Soon after came another clique – “The cockroach returns” with the slogan “Cockroaches don’t die”.
The ‘Cockroach Returns’ account continued to grow in followers, reaching more than 91,000 by late Thursday night (May 21). Around 6:00 p.m., a few hours after the launch, the X handle had amassed more than 39,000 followers. She re-shared the demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET UG 2026 ‘leak’.
Cockroach Janata Party which according to Mr. Abhijeet Dipke had 201,000 followers on X when it was denied
Published – 22 May 2026 11:45 AM IST