Who is Abhijeet Dipke? Boston University grad for viral ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ campaign after CJI memo | Today’s news
On May 16, Abhijeet Dipke posted a Google Form on X inviting people to sign up for what he called the “Cockroach Janta Party” – a satirical political outfit. Dipke’s post on X came a day after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant criticized his “cockroaches” remark.
“We are launching a new platform for all ‘cockroaches’. If you want to join, click on the link below. Eligibility criteria: • Unemployed • Lazy • Chronically online • Ability to chat professionally,” Dipke’s first post said.
Read also | Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad Want To Join ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ Get Funny Reply
Another post read: ‘What if all the cockroaches get together?’
CJI Kant later clarified that his oral observation was aimed at those who use fake degrees to enter professions like law and media, not the unemployed youth. However, within hours, Abhijeet’s Form received more than 15,000 registrations.
What started as a joke on the internet has turned into a satirical movement today. As of May 19, the party has already received 80,000 registrations, Dipke told LiveMint. On Instagram, the party’s page has 12 thousand followers, while on X it has 29 thousand followers.
The satirical site presents itself as “the voice of the lazy and unemployed” and has sparked intense discussion among internet users.
“The cockroach Janta Party was meant to be a joke. But I didn’t expect it to get such an encouraging response. The youth of our country seems to be identifying with it,” says Dipke.
Read also | ‘Young as cockroaches’: CJI Surya Kant raps lawyer, files contempt petition
“From the response, we have evidence that the youth of the country is frustrated that they have no place in Indian politics. Nobody cares about them,” he says.
According to Dipke, the statement made by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India was just a trigger.
Not just the youth. The unofficial party also has responses from political representatives. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad have expressed their willingness to join the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’,
Who is Abhijeet Dipke?
Abhijeet is a 30-year-old student studying at Boston University in the United States of America. He has just completed a two-year Master’s Program in Public Relations at the university.
Before moving to the US, Dipke completed his undergraduate studies in journalism in Pune. Between 2020 and 2022, he volunteered with the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media team. Ahead of the 2020 Delhi polls, Dipke, then a 24-year-old journalism graduate, was the mastermind behind an avalanche of AAP memes during the election campaign. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP won the February 2020 parliamentary elections.
Janta’s cockroach party was supposed to be a joke. But I didn’t expect it to elicit such an encouraging response.
In 2023, he returned to his hometown of Aurangabad, Maharashtra to work on his applications for a master’s program in the US.
Now that Dipke has completed his degree. He is overwhelmed by the reaction his joke has received. If things go well, Dipke plans to move back to India and may move forward in India. “I’m under a lot of pressure. I’m getting hundreds of messages. I can’t disappoint those who have responded. I think I’ll be in India soon and we’ll be thinking about what to do with the movement. We have over 80,000 registrations. We can’t let it go,” says Diple, founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party.
