GUWAHATI: A satire-based social media campaign called the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), launched only a few days ago, has surpassed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Instagram followers, drawing significant attention online.
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According to publicly visible data accessed on May 21, the BJP’s official Instagram handle has around 8.7 million followers, while the CJP account has crossed approximately 12.7 million followers at the time of filing this news. The Indian National Congress handle @incindia has about 13.2 million followers, while the Aam Aadmi Party’s official account has around 1.9 million followers.
The campaign gained further traction after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted a satirical message targeting the BJP after the account overtook it in follower count. “It took just four days,” the post read, alongside the phrase, “Don’t underestimate the power of youth.” Another line in the post mocked the BJP’s frequent description as the “world’s largest party.”
The campaign first surfaced online on May 16 as a satirical youth-led movement reacting to controversial remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing on May 15.
During the proceedings, the CJI, while referring to the social media conduct of a lawyer, reportedly said: “There are youngsters, like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists, and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The remarks triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many users expressing anger over the comparison. Soon after, the “Cockroach Janta Party” emerged online as a satirical response, quickly gaining momentum across platforms.