The account
Users trying to access the handle @CJP_2029 were greeted with a message stating that the account had been “blocked in response to a legal request.” Later, founder Abhijit Debaki shared a screenshot of the notification on social media, saying that the move is “expected”.
Under the X Content Policy, the system can restrict accounts in certain countries if it receives a valid legal request from authorized agencies or if the content violates local laws.
The action came at a time when the CJP has emerged as one of the fastest growing online trends in the country. Her Instagram account reportedly crossed 16.4 million followers within days, surpassing the number of followers of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) official Instagram page. Thousands of users have also registered through online membership forms put forward by the group. Hours after they were banned, they appeared to be back under another headline called “The Cockroach Is Back,” where they posted, “You thought you could get rid of us? Haha.”
HT has reached out to the Ministry of IT and X. The response was awaiting printing.
The satirical movement was born after remarks made by CJI Kant during a court hearing last week sparked a political and social media firestorm. The judge had observed, “There are young people, who are like cockroaches, who are not getting any job or any place in the profession. Some of them become media persons, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The comments sparked sharp reactions from students, activists and young users already frustrated by unemployment, high costs of living and frequent controversies surrounding competitive exams.
CJI Kant later clarified that his remarks targeted individuals who had allegedly been given fake degrees, not unemployed youth in general.
Three trademark applications have been filed for the name “Cockroach Janta Party”.
Official records showed that three separate trademark applications had been filed for the rights to the name Cockroach Janata Party. Applications submitted to the Trademark Registration Portal seek to register trademarks under the category of providing political and social services.
Separate applications have been submitted by individuals Azim Adambhai Jam and Akhand Swarup – about whom little is known – and by COCKROACH JANTA PARTY.
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Debke, a 30-year-old Boston University public relations graduate, posted online: “What if all the cockroaches got together?” This post quickly turned into a full-fledged satirical political campaign.
Within 24 hours, Debke launched his social media accounts, a website and a manifesto for the Sarsour Janta Party, describing it as a “political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth.”
The party’s messages mixed online humor with political criticism. Its satirical membership criteria included being unemployed, chronically online, lazy and able to scream professionally.
The statement mocked mainstream politics while raising issues such as unemployment, alleged media bias, institutional accountability and growing general frustration among young Indians.
The controversy also sparked reactions across the political spectrum. Several opposition leaders amplified the campaign online, with Trinamool Congress leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad openly interacting with the movement and sharing its posts.
Opposition party leaders said the campaign’s popularity reflected growing frustration among unemployed youth and accused the government of failing to address concerns about jobs and inflation. Some members of Congress and left-leaning social media also shared photos and posts related to the campaign, calling it a “digital protest” against the political establishment.
However, BJP leaders dismissed the campaign as a coordinated social media gimmick aimed at targeting institutions and creating unnecessary controversy around the Chief Justice’s remarks. Some party supporters accused opposition groups of using satire to push political rhetoric against the government ahead of key elections in the state.
A senior congressional leader admitted that while the campaign may not have any real political structure, its rapid spread online has exposed the growing disconnect between traditional political messaging and digitally engaged young voters.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha strongly criticized the chief justice’s remarks, saying that when “the chief justice of a constitutional democracy compares unemployed youth, RTI activists, journalists and dissidents to cockroaches and parasites, it ceases to be a mere matter of personal anger and starts wounding the spirit and constitutional culture of democracy.”
Debke, who oversaw much of the campaign himself, said the response reflects a broader mood among young Indians who feel increasingly alienated from traditional political platforms.
Political observers say the movement’s rapid rise highlights growing concerns among Indian youth about jobs, inequality and shrinking spaces for opposition. The country produces millions of graduates every year, but unemployment among degree holders remains much higher than among non-graduates.
Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said the controversy resonates because many young people already feel disconnected from institutions and unheard in public discourse.
Although its
