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A social media account targeting India’s Generation Z has become a hot topic online, facing accusations of hacking and threats to the owner’s family after gaining millions of followers disillusioned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The satirical page, called “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), quickly amassed over 22 million followers on Instagram in just days, highlighting issues such as unemployment and exam leak scandals, boosting youth engagement.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the government had taken down their prominent website, and their X account was blocked within India. Meanwhile, their Instagram was reportedly compromised, and his family received threats. Independent verification of these claims is unavailable, as the government has not officially confirmed any action against the website or social media account. Requests for comment from India’s Home and IT ministries went unanswered.
Despite this online controversy, Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently secured electoral victories in essential states, solidifying its political stronghold after over ten years in power.
Digital rights advocates, like the Internet Freedom Foundation, condemned the alleged banning of the X account, calling it an arbitrary move restricting free speech. Politically, BJP leader Kiren Rijiju dismissed the viral account, criticizing those who gather followers from outside India. He suggested that such individuals are not true patriots, expressing confidence in India’s democracy and youth.
In response, Dipke posted demographic data indicating that over 94% of his Instagram audience is from India and questioned Rijiju’s remarks, asking why a federal minister would label Indian youth as linked to Pakistan.
A survey by Cvoter revealed that young Indians resonate with the concerns raised by the CJP account. More than 60% of respondents aged 18-24 felt anxious about their future, citing frustrations over unemployment and governance issues like exam paper leaks—an incident that affected approximately 2.3 million medical entrance exam candidates. Official figures show urban youth unemployment is around 14%, significantly higher than the national average of about 5%. Most respondents believe that government censorship of such social media platforms would be unjustified.
Activist Prashant Bhushan stated that this online movement could grow if it extended beyond social media into real-world organizing and mobilization efforts.
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