‘Such people get arrested’: CJP founder’s father fears viral Cockroach Janta Party fame

The revolution may be digital, meme-powered, and armed with a cockroach logo. Still, inside one home in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, it has triggered sleepless nights, anxious conversations, and a parent’s worst fear: “What if our son gets arrested?”

As the satirical social media collective ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP) explodes into one of India’s loudest online political phenomena, the spotlight has unexpectedly shifted to the worried parents of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke.

Dipke’s father, Bhagwan Dipke, says the family is struggling to process how quickly their son transformed from a journalism student into the face of a viral political satire movement that now commands millions of followers and an army of meme-makers online.

The internet may be celebrating rebellion with roach emojis and sarcastic manifestos, but at home, the mood is far from humorous.

Speaking to a Marathi news channel, Bhagwan Dipke admitted he has barely slept in recent days, haunted by fears that political satire in today’s climate could come at a heavy price.

He recalled hearing his son publicly speak about concerns over possible arrest if he returns to India, a statement that only deepened the family’s anxiety.

His mother, Anita Dipke, was even more direct. She said she never wanted her son to enter politics and hoped he would choose a stable profession instead.

For her, the sudden fame surrounding CJP feels less like success and more like danger wrapped in virality.

According to the family, Abhijeet’s journey was never meant to lead here. He studied in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar before moving to Pune for higher studies.

Engineering reportedly did not work out for him, pushing him toward journalism and mass communication, a decision that later took him abroad for further education while his sister was already settled there.

His father said he had imagined a far simpler future for his son: a regular corporate or media job in cities like Pune or Delhi, not a digital political movement mocking power structures with insect symbolism.

Ironically, the parents themselves did not initially know much about the now-viral Cockroach Janta Party.

They first heard about it through neighbours and relatives. It was only later, family members told them, that Abhijeet’s social media following had surged beyond that of several major public personalities.

The satire campaign itself emerged from controversy. Reports surrounding remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant during a court hearing sparked outrage and memes online after terms like “parasites” and “cockroaches” became part of public discussion.

Though the CJI later clarified that the criticism was aimed at those obtaining fake degrees, the internet had already run with the metaphor.

That was enough fuel for Abhijeet and his team to build an entire mock political ecosystem around the cockroach symbol, one that mixed humour, unemployment angst, exam frustrations, and anti-establishment sarcasm into shareable political content tailor-made for Gen Z.

The movement’s slogan branding itself as the “voice of the lazy and unemployed” struck a nerve online, especially among young users frustrated with job scarcity and academic pressure.

Within days, the platform’s content flooded Instagram and X with fake campaign posters, satirical promises and dark political humour.

It is to be noted that while the internet crowned a new mascot of dissent, Dipke’s parents appear unconvinced by the glamour of viral politics.

To them, every new follower seems to come with a fresh wave of fear. Even the withholding of the platform’s X account in India following a legal demand only reinforced their worries.

For now, the Cockroach Janta Party may continue marching across timelines. But back home, two anxious parents are still hoping their son logs out before politics bites back.