NEW DELHI: A satirical political group calling itself the Cockroach Janta Party has sprung up online after Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches”; the group says it drew more than 40,000 members within two days of launching.The party, founded by former AAP social media worker Abhijeet Dipke, has already “admitted” Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad as members through social media exchanges.“I would like to join the Cockroach Janta Party. What are the qualifications required?” Azad posted on X. The party responded: “Winning the 1983 World Cup is a good enough qualification.” Moitra, reposting a CJP post, said she too would like to join “besides being a card-carrying member of the Anti-National Party.” The party welcomed her as “the fighter democracy needs.”During a court hearing on May 15, the CJI had reportedly said that some unemployed youngsters become journalists, RTI activists or social media users and “start attacking everyone”.He later clarified that his remarks had been misquoted and were not meant as a criticism of unemployed youth in general. He said he was referring specifically to people entering professions with fake or bogus degrees, and added that reports suggesting he demeaned youth were “totally baseless”.The CJP’s manifesto, which the party describes as “secular, socialist, democratic, lazy,” includes demands such as a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for chief justices, 50 per cent reservation for women in parliament without increasing the strength of the house, and a 20-year election ban for defecting MLAs and MPs.The party has also demanded that the Central Board of Secondary Education scrap rechecking fees, calling it “blatant corruption,” and has voiced support for students affected by the NEET exam controversy.The party has announced plans to host a virtual Gen-Z convention, inviting young people to help organise it. The eligibility criteria for membership include being “unemployed, lazy, chronically online” and having the “ability to rant professionally.”Whether the Cockroach Janta Party will formally register or remain a digital rebellion is unclear, but the satirical outfit has tapped into a growing sentiment of frustration among young Indians.
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