Who is Abhijeet Dipke? Boston University postgrad behind viral ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ campaign after CJI remark
Abhijeet is a 30-year-old student studying at Boston University in the United States. He just completed a two-year master's in Public Relations from the University.
On 16 May, Abhijeet Dipke posted a Google Form on X, inviting people to register for what he called “Cockroach Janta Party ”—a satirical political outfit. Dipke’s post on X came a day after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant drew criticism over his “cockroach” remark.
“Launching a new platform for all the “cockroaches” out there. If you wish to join, hit the link below. Eligibility criteria: • Unemployed • Lazy • Chronically online • Ability to rant professionally,” Dipke’s first post said.
The next post read: ‘What if all cockroaches come together?’
CJI Kant later clarified that his oral observation was directed at those using fake degrees to enter professions such as law and media, not at unemployed youth. But within hours, Abhijeet’s Form had received over 15,000 registrations.
What started as a joke on the internet has today transformed into a satirical movement. On 21 May, the party has already received six lakh sign-ups, Dipke told LiveMint. Today, on Instagram the party’s page has 9 million followers, more than Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while on X it has 179,000 followers.
The satirical party pitches itself as “the voice of the lazy and unemployed”, and has sparked intense discussion among netizens.
“The Cockroach Janta Party was supposed to be a joke. But I had not expected it would draw such an encouraging response. Seems the youth of our country identify with it,” says Dipke.
“From the response, we have proof that the youth of the country are frustrated that they have no place in Indian politics. Nobody cares for them,” he says.
The statement made by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, was just a trigger, according to Dipke.
Not just the youth. The unofficial party has got responses from political leaders too. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad have expressed their willingness to join the 'Cockroach Janta Party',
Who is Abhijeet Dipke?
Abhijeet is a 30-year-old student studying at Boston University in the United States. He just completed a two-year master's in Public Relations from the University.
Before moving to the US, Dipke did his undergraduate studies in journalism in Pune. He volunteered with the Aam Aadmi Party's social media team from 2020 to 2022. In the run-up to the 2020 Delhi assembly polls, Dipke, then a 24-year-old journalism graduate, was the brain behind AAP's meme avalanche during the election campaign. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP won the February 2020 assembly election.
In 2023, he returned to his hometown, Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, to work on his applications for the master's programme in the US.
Now that Dipke has completed his degree. He is overwhelmed by the response his joke got. If things go well, Dipke plans to move back to India and may be take the movement forward in India.
“I have a lot of pressure. I get hundreds of messages. I cannot disappoint those who have responded. I think I will be in India soon and we will think what to do with the movement. We have 80,000 + sign-ups. It can’t be left as such,” says Dipke, the founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party