CJP Instagram account briefly taken down on I-Day, restored later

The official Instagram account of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was temporarily unavailable on Aug 15 morning before being restored later in the day, according to the organisation.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the account had been taken down and shared screenshots showing that the official Instagram page was unavailable. He alleged that the platform had removed the account and criticised those he said were behind the move.

The CJP subsequently said through its official X account that it had regained access to the Instagram handle.

“CJP Instagram handle was taken down this morning. But we have been able to successfully recover the account,” the organisation said.

The group also linked the timing of the incident to Independence Day and alleged that those opposed to the CJP had chosen Aug 15 to try to suppress its voice.

“What a shame that those who oppose CJP chose India's Independence Day to try to muzzle our voice. We will not be intimidated by such cowardly acts!” the organisation said in a post.

Dipke also reacted to the reported takedown on X, writing that the official Instagram handle of the Cockroach Janta Party had been taken down and calling those responsible “bloody cowards”.

The account was subsequently restored, according to the CJP. Other reports also confirmed that the handle was accessible again later in the day.

The episode comes as the CJP has expanded its activities following its student mobilisation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The organisation has recently announced campaigns focused on education and youth issues.

On Independence Day, the CJP also launched its “School Thik Karo” campaign, with Dipke beginning the initiative from his native village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district. The campaign focuses on basic facilities in government schools and calls for greater public involvement in monitoring their condition.

The organisation had earlier announced the campaign as part of its broader focus on education and youth concerns. Dipke had also called for people to ask questions about the condition of government schools and their basic infrastructure.

The latest Instagram episode also follows the CJP's recent public activities around student and education-related issues. Dipke has spoken in support of student protests in different parts of the country, while the organisation has indicated that it intends to continue its activities beyond the Jantar Mantar mobilisation.

There is, however, no independent confirmation in the reports reviewed that the Instagram account was deliberately removed to silence the CJP or that any particular person or organisation ordered its removal. Those claims have been made by the CJP and its founder.