Why brand Indian youth as Pakistani? Cockroach Janta Party hits back at Kiren Rijiju

The founder of the Cockroach Janta Party has pushed back against Union Minister Kiren Rijiju after the minister suggested the digital platform was drawing support from Pakistan and networks linked to billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

Responding to Rijiju’s remarks on X, Abhijeet Dipke shared what he described as a screen recording of the platform’s audience data, claiming that more than 94% of its followers were based in India.

“This is the screen recording of our audience demographic which we had shared with the media before our account was hacked. More than 94% of the audience is from India. Why is a Union Minister labelling Indian youth as Pakistani?” Dipke wrote.

His response came after Rijiju launched a sharp attack on the platform without naming it directly.

“I pity those who seek their followers on social media from Pakistan and George Soros gang. India has enough population and a highly energetic youth population, who can be genuine and valuable followers. No need to seek validation from the anti-India gang,” Rijiju posted.

The exchange has added to the growing political controversy around the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical digital movement that has rapidly gained traction online over the past week.

The outfit first emerged after remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing on senior lawyer designations triggered outrage on social media. References to “cockroaches” and “parasites” went viral, though the CJI later clarified that his comments were directed at individuals allegedly entering the legal profession with “fake and bogus degrees” and had been misrepresented.

Riding that online wave, the Cockroach Janta Party positioned itself as a youth-led protest platform, focusing on issues such as unemployment, exam pressure and alleged irregularities in recruitment and entrance tests.

Its popularity surged further during nationwide outrage over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which sparked protests among medical aspirants across India. The platform projected itself as a voice for students frustrated with the country’s competitive exam system and the wider education framework.

Within days of its launch, the Cockroach Janta Party overtook both the BJP and the Congress in Instagram followers, becoming one of the platform’s most-followed political pages.

Dipke has also alleged a wider crackdown on the movement. He claimed the group’s Instagram page, his personal Instagram account and its X handle were either hacked or withheld, leaving the organisation without access to its official platforms. He urged supporters not to treat any new posts from those accounts as official communication.

According to Dipke, the platform’s website was also taken down, and he received death threats after launching a campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG leak.

“Action should have been taken against the education minister for the paper leak. For the student who lost his life because of the government’s failure. But in New India, action is being taken against the Cockroach Janta Party for demanding accountability,” Dipke said in another post.

He claimed that before the website went offline, nearly 10 lakh users had registered with the platform and around 6 lakh supporters had signed an online petition seeking Pradhan’s resignation.

Despite the alleged takedowns, a backup X account titled “Cockroach is Back” claimed the movement continued to expand online.

Dipke, now based in Boston, previously worked on social media campaigns for the Aam Aadmi Party during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections.