Founder’s parents refuse permission for him entering politics.
Anita wants Abhijeet focused on career, not politics.
Barely a week after its launch, the satirical digital platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has exploded across social media, gathering more than 19 million Instagram followers. But while its founder, Boston University student Abhijeet Dipke, is riding a wave of viral popularity, his parents in Maharashtra are responding with anxiety, sleepless nights and a firm message — they do not want their son entering politics.
Abhijeet’s parents, Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, who live in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, say the sudden rise of CJP has left them deeply worried. Speaking to a Marathi news channel, they admitted that fame has brought fear rather than celebration into their home.
The social media outfit, now widely known as CJP, uses sharp satire, memes and political commentary to engage young audiences. Much of its content focuses on issues such as unemployment, education, examination paper leaks and youth frustrations. The platform’s quirky name and insect symbol emerged from a controversy involving Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s reported remarks about “parasites” and “cockroaches” during court proceedings.
Although the Chief Justice later clarified that his comments were misquoted and referred specifically to individuals entering the legal profession through fake degrees, the controversy sparked online creativity. CJP quickly transformed the “cockroach” symbol into a viral brand of political satire.
For Abhijeet’s parents, however, the attention surrounding the platform has been anything but entertaining.
He admitted being disturbed by reports and interviews where his son spoke about concerns over possible arrest if he returned to India. “People read such stories in newspapers. Famous people often land in trouble,” he said, adding that he had not slept properly for two nights because of worry.
His mother Anita echoed those concerns. Rather than politics, she wants her son to focus on building a stable career and finding employment.
Whether he continues in politics is his decision, but we do not want him to pursue it. I do not know whether he will listen to us or not, but I cannot support him in this.”
Anita recalled Abhijeet’s educational journey, saying he studied initially in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar before moving to Pune for higher studies. Engineering proved difficult for him, eventually pushing him toward mass media and journalism. According to his father, Abhijeet later chose to study journalism abroad, partly because his sister was already overseas.
Bhagwan said his dream had been far simpler — he wanted his son to take up a regular job in cities like Pune or Delhi.
Interestingly, the parents revealed they did not even learn about the Cockroach Janta Party directly from their son. A neighbour first informed them about the rapidly growing platform. Later, family members told them that Abhijeet’s follower count had surpassed that of many major public figures.
The parents also recalled that Abhijeet had earlier worked with the Aam Aadmi Party. Even then, Anita had advised him to stay away from politics.
Now, with CJP becoming a social media sensation almost overnight, their concern has only deepened — a reminder that behind digital fame often lies a family quietly grappling with fear, uncertainty and concern for a loved one’s future.