Fake political party led by an AI cockroach overruns Indian politics

World Rapid rise of "Cockroach Janta Party" online protest movement appears to spook India's leaders By Arshad R. Zargar May 22, 2026 / 12:47 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google New Delhi — India's political establishment has a cockroach problem, and the government seems to be taking it seriously. The infestation is not of insects, however, but millions of young Indians taking part in a viral online protest movement.On Thursday, the account of the "Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)" was blocked on X. The CJP was launched only a week ago as a satirical movement to protest remarks by the country's chief justice, Surya Kant, who was widely reported to have referred to India's unemployed youth as "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a hearing.The tongue-in-cheek online satire struck a chord. Within days of its launch, the fake party had garnered more followers on some social media platforms than India's main political parties. An image posted on the Instagram account of the "Cockroach Janta Party."   Instagram As the online backlash grew, Kant tried to put a lid on it, insisting he hadn't referred to unemployed youth in general as vermin, just those who get jobs by faking degrees."What I had specifically criticized were those who have entered professions like the bar with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites. It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticized the youth of our nation," he said.But the army of online cockroaches had already grown into the millions. Abhijeet Dipke, an Indian student studying public relations at Boston University, launched the online party on May 16 – turning the judge's purported insult into a symbol of youth anger. The pseudo-party describes itself as a "political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth" — and a "Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed."The party's name and insigni...