Indian Gen Z satire account alleges crackdown after rapid rise online

NEW DELHI: A fast-growing satirical social media account centred on the concerns of India’s Gen Z has alleged official pressure after attracting millions of followers critical of issues linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The account, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), gained more than 22 million followers on Instagram within days. Its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, said on X that the group’s website had been taken down, its X account had been withheld in India, its Instagram account had been compromised and his family had received threats.

In his post, Dipke wrote:

"The government has taken down our iconic website"

Reuters said it could not independently verify the claim that the government was behind the website takedown. The Indian government has not publicly confirmed any action against the website or the Instagram account, while India’s home ministry and information technology ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Political reaction and online response

The account’s popularity has emerged even as Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has recently secured electoral victories in key states, strengthening its position after more than a decade in power at the national level.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights group, criticised the reported withholding of the X account in India and described it as an arbitrary attempt to restrict free expression.

On social media, federal minister Kiren Rijiju, a senior BJP leader, dismissed the wider phenomenon without naming CJP directly. He said:

"Those who are heroes of the anti-India gang cannot be heroes of India"

In the same post, Rijiju added:

We have complete faith in Indian democracy and Indian youth.

Dipke responded by sharing what he described as a demographic analysis of the account’s Instagram audience, saying:

"More than 94% of the audience is from India."

He also questioned the minister’s remarks in another post, writing:

Why is a union minister, Kiren Rijiju, labelling Indian youth as Pakistani?

Youth concerns highlighted

A survey by polling agency CVoter found that the issues highlighted by the account resonated with younger Indians. More than 60 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 said they felt anxious about their future.

Six in 10 respondents said the account reflected frustration over unemployment and governance-related concerns, including exam paper leaks. A recent medical entrance test paper leak affected about 2.3 million candidates.

Official data showed urban youth unemployment in India at 14pc, compared with overall unemployment of about 5pc. The survey also found that a majority of respondents believed any state move to block such social media platforms would not be justified.

Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the online campaign could gather wider support if it moved beyond social media platforms. He said:

If they want to take it forward, they will have to organise and mobilise on the ground