In one of the more surreal scenes, activists took part in a cleanliness drive in Kalindi Kunj wearing makeshift cockroach antennae and carrying signs that read, “I am a cockroach.”
The word “cockroach” also started trending widely on X last week. There is even a Cockroach Janta Party, complete with a vision statement and manifesto, although it is not a formally registered party yet. The criteria for membership are equally playful.
Cockroach Janta Party Satirizes CJI Remark
Prospective members identify with at least one of the following categories: unemployed, lazy, chronically online, or able to rant at a professional level. The party claims its headquarters are located “wherever the wifi works.”
2 Million Followers on social media, public attracts
What began as a meme or commentary has quickly gained traction. Within just four days, the self-proclaimed “party” attracted over 55,000 members. This was a response that its founder and convener, Abhijeet Dipke, did not expect, as he explained to Outlook.
“It was supposed to be one satirical tweet; we not aim to make it an actual political party,” he said. Given the overwhelming reaction from young people, Dipke thinks they will at least turn it into an “online movement.”
But how did this happen? It began when the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, compared a whole section of people to “cockroaches” on May 15, which sparked considerable upset and built momentum.
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