Cockroach Janta Party website taken down: Founder Abhijeet Dipke calls govt 'dictatorial'

NEW DELHI: Internet’s newest sensation, Cockroach Janta Party’s “iconic” website was taken down on Saturday, founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed, as he trained his guns on the BJP-led Centre and called it “dictatorial.”Dipke, whose bizarre-yet-viral digital movement has rapidly gained traction among young social media users, took to X to accuse the government of “dictatorial behaviour”. He claimed that nearly 10 lakh people had signed up as members, which has become a Millenials and Gen Z-fuelled platform for sarcasm and meme culture at the system.The controversy also comes against the backdrop of outrage over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, an issue that has triggered anger among lakhs of medical aspirants across the country. Dipke claimed that six lakh members of the “Cockroach Janta Party” had signed a petition demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the examination row.Dipke posted on X, “The government has taken down our iconic website. 10 Lakh cockroaches had signed up on our website has members. 6 Lakh cockroaches had signed a petition to demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan."He added, "Why is the government so scared of cockroaches? But this dictatorial behaviour is opening the eyes of India's youth. Our only crime is we were demanding a better future for ourselves. But you can't get rid of us that easily. We’re working on a new home right now. Cockroaches never die.”The post quickly went viral, adding another chapter to the strange but wildly popular rise of the “Cockroach Janta Party”, a meme-driven online phenomenon that blends with youth discontent.Earlier in the day, Dipke had also alleged that both his Instagram account and the party’s social media page were hacked, claims that further amplified the buzz around the platform.The “Cockroach Janta Party” trend first exploded online after controversy surrounding remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a hearing on a plea seeking senior designation for a lawyer. Since then, the movement has snowballed into a broader internet rebellion laced with humour, criticism and anti-establishment commentary, especially among younger users online.However, CJI Surya Kant later clarified on his "cockroach" remark that his observation was misquoted and were specifically aimed at people entering professions using 'fake and bogus degrees.'