‘We just want him safe’: CJP founder’s parents fear political backlash

The rapid rise of satirical digital platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has left the parents of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, deeply anxious over fears that his growing political visibility could lead to legal trouble or even arrest.

Dipke, a student at Boston University and a former associate of the Aam Aadmi Party, launched the platform just over a week ago. Since then, CJP has amassed more than 19 million followers on Instagram, fuelled by sharp political satire, memes and commentary on issues affecting young people.

Speaking to a Marathi news channel on Thursday, Dipke’s parents, Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, said they were alarmed by their son’s sudden prominence and had hoped he would avoid politics altogether.

Bhagwan Dipke, who lives with his family in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said recent developments had left him unable to sleep.

“In today’s political climate, fear is natural regardless of how popular someone becomes,” he said. “He himself mentioned in an interview that he feared being arrested after returning to India. We keep reading about such incidents.”

Anita Dipke said she wanted her son to focus on building a professional career rather than pursuing politics.

“We just want him to return home safely,” she said. “Whether he continues in politics will ultimately be his decision, but we do not want him involved in it. I am worried and I do not know if he will listen to us.”

She explained that Abhijeet completed his early education in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar before moving to Pune. According to his mother, he initially pursued engineering but later shifted his interest towards mass media and journalism.

His father said the decision to study abroad was influenced by the presence of Abhijeet’s sister overseas, adding that he had hoped his son would eventually settle into a job in Pune or Delhi.

The parents said they first learned about the popularity of Cockroach Janta Party through neighbours and relatives.

“One of my grandchildren told me he now has more followers than many well-known personalities in the country,” Anita said. “Earlier too, when he worked with AAP, I told him that our family was not interested in politics and that he should pursue a regular profession.”

Bhagwan Dipke said the platform’s viral growth had only increased his concern.

“He has become famous overnight and people in such positions often face trouble,” he said. “I have not slept properly for the past two nights because of worry. I dislike politics and have no interest in it.”

Cockroach Janta Party emerged following controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who was reported to have used the words “parasites” and “cockroaches” while criticising a lawyer during proceedings related to senior designation pleas.

Although the Chief Justice later clarified that his remarks had been misrepresented and were aimed at those entering the legal profession with fraudulent qualifications, the incident inspired Dipke’s satirical platform, which adopted the cockroach as its symbol.

The page has since gained widespread attention for its blend of humour and political messaging, with content focusing on youth issues such as unemployment, education, examination paper leaks and governance.

With IANS inputs