21/05/2026
| The satirical online movement “Cockroach Janta Party (CJP),” which identifies itself as a political party, has crossed more than 9.2 million followers on Instagram within just four days, overtaking several major Indian political parties on the platform, including BJP, AAP, and TMC. Only the Indian National Congress (INC) currently remains ahead in follower count.
As of Thursday morning (21 May), the approximate Instagram follower numbers stood at:
• Indian National Congress (INC) — 13.2 million
• Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) — 9.2 million+
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — 8.7 million
• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — 1.9 million
• All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — 0.5 million
Despite having only around 55 posts, the page has witnessed explosive growth online. Its Instagram bio describes the platform as “A political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth.”
The movement reportedly began after controversial remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15. During the proceedings, he allegedly used the phrase “youngsters like cockroaches” while referring to individuals entering professions without proper qualifications. The comments quickly went viral and sparked intense debate across social media, especially among young users frustrated over unemployment, academic pressure, and limited career opportunities.
Soon after, the term “cockroach” was reappropriated online as a symbol of survival, resistance, and protest. Memes, satire pages, political edits, and protest-style content rapidly spread across Instagram, eventually evolving into the “Cockroach Janta Party” movement.
A day later, Surya Kant clarified that his remarks were directed at people using fake or bogus degrees and not at the youth of the country. He also stated that India’s youth are the “pillars of a developed India.”
Since then, CJP has emerged as a viral Gen Z-driven online protest movement highlighting issues such as unemployment, political hypocrisy, and growing dissatisfaction among sections of the youth.
