A social media movement born out of a Supreme Court remark has grown large enough to attract unwanted attention. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which now has more Instagram followers than both the BJP and Congress, is facing a hacking attempt on its account, the latest chapter in a story that has moved faster than almost anyone anticipated.

Founder Abhijeet Dipke took to Instagram to alert followers that someone was actively trying to break into the party's account, which has now crossed 14 million followers on the platform.

The number puts the CJP ahead of India's two largest political parties. The Congress has 13.3 million Instagram followers, while the BJP has 8.8 million, both now trailing a movement that didn't exist until a few weeks ago.

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How it started

The CJP traces its origins to a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a hearing on the designation of senior advocates. "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment and don't have a place in a profession," the CJI said, words that landed hard and spread fast.

Dipke, a 30-year-old public relations postgraduate from Boston University and a former AAP social media worker, founded the party in direct response. In an interview with India Today, he explained why the remark stung as deeply as it did. "I think the remarks were more triggering because they came from the Chief Justice of India, who is the custodian of the Constitution, which grants us freedom of expression. Someone who is there to safeguard our freedom of expression is comparing us to cockroaches and parasites just for putting forward our opinions. That was the more hurtful part," he said.

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He also noted that the source of the comment was central to its impact. He further said that if similar remarks came from political leaders, the reaction would not have been this intense.

Withheld on X, targeted on Instagram

The CJP's rapid rise has not been without friction. Its X account was previously withheld in India, with the profile reading: "Account Withheld. @CJP_2029 has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand." Such action is taken when a platform receives what it considers a valid legal request from an authorised entity and determines it may be necessary to restrict access to content in a specific country.

The movement continued to grow on Instagram despite that setback — and now, with the hacking attempt, it faces a new kind of pressure on the platform where it has built its largest audience.

Published on: May 21, 2026 3:16 PM IST