E-Paper
Cockroach Janta Party founder alleges receiving death threats: ‘America mein bhi marwa denge’
Sharing screenshots of messages he allegedly received from unknown numbers on WhatsApp, Dipke wrote on X, “Receiving death threats now.”
The founder of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, has claimed that he has been receiving death threats, a day after his satirical party’s X account was withheld.
Sharing screenshots of messages he allegedly received from unknown numbers on WhatsApp, Dipke wrote on X, “Receiving death threats now.” The messages shown in the screenshots appear to warn Dipke to join the BJP or face being killed, even in the United States. Another screenshot, sent from a different number, allegedly threatens him further, saying that now that they have his phone number, finding his address “won’t take much time.”
Party’s X account blocked
This comes a day after the party’s X account was withheld, five days after it was launched amid outrage over remarks made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on unemployed youth. The social media pages of the party garnered many followers, including Instagram, where the party’s following surpassed the following of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Users attempting to access the handle @CJP_2029 were greeted with a message stating that the account had been “withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.” Dipke shared the screenshot on X, saying this was “expected.”
However, hours after being blocked, they appeared to come back under another handle called “Cockroach is back”, posting, “You thought you can get rid of us? Lol.”
Shashi Tharoor ‘intrigued’ by rise of CJP
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he was “intrigued” by the sudden rise of CJP and understands why the outfit is getting support from the youth. He added that suppression of the party’s account is “disastrous and deeply unwise” and suggested that the account should be let to function instead of shutting it down!
“I’m incredibly intrigued by the rise of #CockroachJantaParty, which has already reached more than 15 million followers on Instagram in just five days. I understand the frustrations of the youth and see why they are resonating with it. This is precisely why the account being withheld on X is disastrous and deeply unwise - there should be an outlet for the youth to express their feelings, and so, let CJP’s account function instead of shutting it down! Democracies need outlets for dissent, humour, satire and even frustration,” Tharoor wrote.
Not only Tharoor, but many leaders have expressed their support to the party. Trinamool Congress leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad also publicly asked to join the Cockroach Janata Party. Celebrities, including filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, actors Konkona Sen Sharma and Esha Gupta have also started following CJP’s Instagram handle.
Most recently, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav threw his weight behind the movement with a short post on Instagram and X. “BJP versus CJP,” he wrote. That one-liner quickly went viral.
AAP leader Manish Sisodia also joined in with an Instagram video. “I too am a cockroach,” Sisodia said.
“When it’s a war between the Crocodile and the Cockroaches, I proudly stand with the Cockroach Janta Party.”
Why did the party start?
The party came into existence after outrage over remarks by Chief Justice Surya Kant comparing some unemployed youth to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” It has rapidly grown into one of India’s biggest online satire movements.
The outfit bills itself as the “Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed” and uses parody manifestos, memes, and online campaigns to tap into growing frustration among young Indians over unemployment, rising living costs, and political disillusionment.
