NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical movement, faced a significant setback on Saturday when founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that the party’s official website had been taken down by the government. This development follows a recent incident where the movement’s main account on X (previously Twitter) was withheld in India after a legal demand.
As of this report, there has been no official response from the central government. However, a counter-narrative has emerged on social media suggesting that Dipke may have taken down his own website to portray himself as a victim. Dipke did not reply to messages or direct inquiries regarding this accusation.
In his statements, Dipke claimed that the website removal occurred as the movement gained popularity among younger users, particularly in light of a petition drive related to the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. He noted that the group had amassed “10 lakh cockroaches” who registered and that “6 lakh cockroaches” had signed a petition demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a subsequent post, Dipke intensified his critique of the government, questioning, “Why is the government so scared of cockroaches?” He argued that this incident reflects what he labeled as “dictatorial behavior” targeting the youth of India. He also reported that the party’s Instagram page, his personal Instagram account, and a backup X handle faced similar obstacles, asserting, “You can hack and withhold the accounts, but you cannot hack this movement,” emphasizing the continuation of their campaign online.
Sources indicate that the original CJP handle on X was withheld in India based on Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, following input from the Ministry of Electronics and IT that cited concerns related to sovereignty and national security. Official confirmation from neither X nor the ministries of home affairs and information technology has been provided.
According to X’s policies, an “account withheld” notice is a response to a valid legal demand or local law. Following the restrictions, the CJP swiftly created a new account named “Cockroach is Back.”
The movement gained traction after a controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, which sparked online outrage until he clarified that his comments were directed at individuals using “fake and bogus degrees,” rather than unemployed youth. Additionally, BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar has claimed that the CJP trend is part of a cross-border “influence operation,” a charge that Dipke has denied.
