A newly formed social media movement in India, the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), has gone viral after attracting nearly 15 million Instagram followers within five days, surpassing the online following of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The group, which describes itself as the “Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed,” focuses on issues affecting India’s Gen Z population, including unemployment, inflation, rising living costs, and political representation, often using humour and satire to engage young audiences.
Founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP features a cockroach logo displayed on a mobile phone. Dipke said the name was inspired by comments made by Chief Justice Surya Kant, who recently compared some unemployed youth to cockroaches while discussing fake degree holders.
Speaking to Reuters from Boston, Dipke said the movement aimed to bring young people back into India’s mainstream political discussion.
“The youth of India has largely vanished from the mainstream political discourse,” he said. “Nobody is listening to our issues.”
The CJP’s social media content includes discussions on media freedom, women’s political representation, and youth unemployment. The group also highlighted the recent cancellation of India’s national medical college entrance exam following a question paper leak that affected around 2.3 million students.
The movement comes amid growing economic concerns among young Indians. A recent Deloitte Global survey found that many Indian Gen Zs face financial stress due to unemployment and rising prices.
The report stated that 54 per cent of Indian Gen Z respondents had postponed major life decisions, including buying homes, because of economic uncertainty.
India has one of the world’s youngest populations, with around 65 per cent of its 1.42 billion people under the age of 35. Government data showed unemployment among people aged 15 to 29 stood at 9.9 per cent in 2025.
Dipke said more than 400,000 people had already signed up for the movement, most of them between 19 and 25 years old. The CJP humorously says its members must be unemployed, lazy, chronically online, and capable of “ranting professionally.”
While rejecting comparisons with recent youth-led protest movements in Bangladesh and Nepal, Dipke said any future political activity by the group would remain democratic and peaceful.
