Fake political party led by an AI cockroach overruns Indian politics
The satirical "Cockroach Janta Party" calls itself a "political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth." India's government may be trying to squash it.
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.
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.