TMC leaders Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad join ‘Cockroach Janata Party’

New Delhi: A political and social media storm erupted after Chief Justice Suryakant drew sharp criticism for remarks comparing certain unemployed youth and activists to “cockroaches” during a recent court hearing, triggering the rise of a satirical online outfit calling itself the “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP).

The controversy began last week when the Chief Justice, while hearing a case, remarked that many young people were unable to find jobs or workplaces and that some among them had turned to media, social media activism and public campaigns targeting others. The comments were widely circulated online and interpreted by critics as an insult directed at unemployed youth across the country.

The backlash intensified after Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad publicly posted on X seeking to “join” the newly emerged Cockroach Janata Party, an unofficial satirical political account created in response to the controversy.

As outrage mounted, the Chief Justice issued a clarification stating that his remarks had been misinterpreted and were not aimed at unemployed youth. He reportedly said he had actually been referring to individuals using fake degrees and fraudulent certificates to enter professions such as law, media and other respected fields. He further argued that such individuals had infiltrated institutions like parasites and that media reports claiming he targeted jobless youth were baseless.

The Cockroach Janata Party account rapidly gained traction on social media, using satire to mock the controversy. Its profile featured a cockroach wearing sunglasses and described itself as a secular, socialist and democratic platform representing “lazy” and unemployed youth.

Within 24 hours, the page reportedly crossed 15,000 followers on X and later claimed that nearly 40,000 people had joined the unofficial online movement, which now describes itself as the voice of the unemployed and ignored youth.