Official Announcement: Cockroach Janta Party Welcomes Prominent MPs to Our Swarm

"Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy." This is the motto of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), India's latest political outfit or gimmick, whichever way you perceive it. The motto has been shared online even as the CJP is conducting a massive membership drive. Right below the motto is a description of the CJP: "A political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth".

The Cockroach Janta Party is barely over two days old. Yet, it already claims 40,000 members. It has attracted thousands of followers on social media, and has even "admitted" two Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs who expressed their desire to join the outfit.

The CJP has pitched itself as a movement for people "frustrated with the regime". The social media posts of the party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, have so far seen scores of prominent personalities engage with it, including social activist Anjali Bhardwaj, Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, and former civil servant Ashish Joshi.

Dipke, the CJP founder, earlier worked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in social media campaigning for the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls, reporting to the party's IT media head.

While Kirti Azad said he would like to join the CJP and asked for the "qualifications required", Mahua Moitra, reposting a CJP post, said she too, would like to join the party "besides being a card-carrying member of the Anti-National Party".

"You are the fighter democracy needs, Mahua Moitra. Welcome to the CJP," said the party's X handle, welcoming the Krishnanagar MP. Welcoming Bardhaman–Durgapur MP Kirti Azad to the CJP, the party said, "Winning the 1983 World Cup is a good enough qualification."

The name, Cockroach Janta Party, appears to be a satirical reference to remarks by Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, made recently. He compared jobless youths entering fields like journalism, law, or RTI activism to "cockroaches" and "parasites" attacking the system during a court hearing.

The remarks triggered backlash online, after which the CJI issued a clarification saying he was misquoted. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP said, "Being the founder of Cockroach Janta Party, I condemn this clarification."

The CJP is not even days old yet, but it already has an AI-generated anthem that goes, "We are Cockroach Party, we are children of a burning city..."

COCKROACH PARTY TO HOST A GEN-Z CONVENTION Days into the CJP's blockbuster debut, the party said it was now "planning to host its first virtual GenZ Convention".

"We are inviting young people to help us organise and coordinate this online convention. If you are GenZ and would like to be a part of it, please DM us," the CJP said in a social media post.

The CJP said the eligibility criteria for the party include being "unemployed", "lazy", "chronically online" and having the "ability to rant professionally". The CJP, on its X handle said that "it believed in the Constitution of India and would always work towards protecting its values".

"Every phone now carries a voice of courage... Every social media post is a sign of resistance... The revolution starts from your screens...," the CJP, which said the mobile phone would be its poll symbol, said in a post.

COCKROACH JANTA PARTY RAISES VOICE AGAINST 'NEET EXAM FRAUD' The CJP, in another social media post, said it promised the youth that the platform would "not just raise your voice, but also listen to your concerns, your struggles and your hopes for the future".

The party also said it stood with "every student who has been a victim of exam fraud like NEET and CBSE", and demanded that the CBSE "immediately scrap the rechecking fee", calling it "blatant corruption" if students were forced to pay for mistakes made by the board itself.

The CJP's five-point manifesto mixes satire with political messaging: 1. No Chief Justice shall be granted a Rajya Sabha seat as a post-retirement reward. 2. If any legitimate vote is deleted, the Chief Election Commissioner should be arrested under UAPA, calling the denial of voting rights "no less than terrorism". 3. Demand 50% reservation for women in Parliament and the Cabinet, without increasing the strength of the House. 4. The media should be absolutely free. 5. A 20-year ban from elections and public office for any MLA or MP who defects from one party to another.

CJP SEEKS FEEDBACK FROM YOUTH ACROSS INDIA Social activist Anjali Bhardwaj suggested three more points for the CJP agenda. She suggested that the party should be "answerable to people under the RTI Act", should "not accept anonymous donations in cash or through instruments like electoral bonds", and should "never start a secret Cockroach CARES Fund".

Responding to her suggestions, the CJP said, "All points have been accepted and will be implemented," thanking Bhardwaj for "keeping us on our toes".

The CJP said that "it's a platform for the youth to shape the future of Indian politics".

"The CJP will launch a nationwide initiative inviting suggestions, ideas, and feedback from young citizens on the issues the party should focus on and the change they wish to see," said the CJP on X.

Whether the Cockroach Janta Party will register formally or it is just a meme-fuelled political experiment remains unclear. But in an era of heated politics, the CJP has created a buzz which feels refreshing to some, unlike the deliberate unsettling cockroach branding to its name.