Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has alleged fresh action against his social media presence, claiming that his personal Instagram account was hacked while the party’s backup account was briefly taken down before being restored.The development comes hours after Dipke publicly stated that he had lost access to his personal Instagram account, triggering concern among supporters of the rapidly growing satirical political movement that has dominated online political conversations in recent days.According to screenshots shared by Dipke, he repeatedly attempted to recover the account through Meta’s recovery process but was unsuccessful. Each attempt reportedly displayed the message: “We locked your Instagram account for your safety. To recover your account, you’ll need to verify your identity and create a new password.”Dipke claimed the same response continued to appear despite multiple recovery attempts, leaving him unable to regain control of the account.At the same time, CJP supporters alleged that the party’s backup Instagram handle was also briefly suspended amid the outfit’s explosive rise on social media. However, the group soon returned with a fresh account titled “Cockroach Is Back”, mocking critics and suggesting that efforts were being made to silence the movement because of its growing popularity.One post shared by the group read, “You thought you can get rid of us? Lol,” while another hinted that action against the account came after the CJP overtook major political parties on Instagram in follower count.CJP’s popularity surges onlineWhat began as an internet satire campaign has quickly transformed into one of India’s fastest-growing digital political movements.The CJP recently claimed to have surpassed the BJP and later the Congress in Instagram followers, becoming one of the most-followed political outfits on the platform within days of its launch.The movement’s rapid rise has largely been driven by Gen Z users, memes, online activism and growing frustration over unemployment, examination paper leaks and demands for political accountability.Political reactions and allegationsThe movement has sparked sharp reactions online. Several supporters of the BJP have labelled the outfit a potential “threat to national security”, while some social media users alleged possible links with Pakistan’s ISI and backing from opposition groups.At the same time, opposition leaders, activists and public figures have engaged with the movement online or expressed support for it, intensifying political debate around the sudden rise of the CJP.Origins of the movementThe Cockroach Janta Party was founded by Dipke, a Boston-based former social media campaign worker associated with the Aam Aadmi Party during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections.The movement emerged after controversial remarks allegedly attributed online to Surya Kant, who was accused by social media users of comparing unemployed youths and activists to “cockroaches” and “parasites”.Though the Chief Justice later clarified that his remarks had been misquoted, the backlash snowballed into a major online campaign.Operating under the slogan “Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy”, the CJP describes itself as “a political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth”.Its manifesto combines satire with demands for electoral reforms, institutional accountability, women’s reservation and action against examination-related controversies, including the NEET row.What next?With repeated restrictions and recovery issues surrounding its social media accounts even as its online following continues to grow, the CJP has further cemented itself at the centre of India’s digital political discourse.