Who is the real “Cockroach”? Three applications filed to trademark ...
At least three trademark applications have now been filed to register the name “Cockroach Janta Party”, after the satirical online movement with that name exploded across Indian social media following remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing.ALSO READ14.5 Million and counting: The Cockroach Janta Party topples BJP and INC’s Instagram dominance
The trademark battle comes just days after the rapid rise of the internet-driven campaign, popularly known as CJP, which has emerged as one of the country’s biggest online political phenomena in recent years.
According to records available with the Trade Marks Registry, applications have reportedly been filed by Azim Adambhai Jam, Akhand Swaroop, and a proprietorship linked to “Dipke’s Cockroach Janta Party”.
The trademark filings have been made under Class 45, a category that covers legal services, security-related services and social or personal services provided to individuals.
The phrase “Cockroach Janta Party” has quickly transformed from a meme-based protest campaign into a highly discussed digital movement with massive social media traction.
CJP overtakes BJP on Instagram
The popularity of the satirical campaign has surged at an extraordinary pace over the past few days.
The official Instagram account of Cockroach Janta Party has reportedly crossed 14 million followers, putting it ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s official Instagram account, which currently has around 8.7 million followers.
The campaign has also reportedly received over six lakh registrations from supporters online.
Describing itself as the “Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed,” the movement blends political satire, memes and online activism while targeting issues linked to unemployment, youth frustration and political culture.
The campaign’s X account had also crossed nearly 200,000 followers before it was withheld in India on May 21 following what the platform described as a “legal demand”.
Soon after the restriction, the creators launched another account on X, which again gained tens of thousands of followers within a short span.
How the movement started
The Cockroach Janta Party began gaining traction after remarks made by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing sparked outrage online.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice reportedly compared unemployed youth turning to activism through media, social media and RTI to cockroaches and parasites.
The remarks triggered strong reactions online and soon evolved into meme campaigns, satire pages and eventually the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party.
The Chief Justice later clarified that his comments were directed at people entering professions using fake degrees and not unemployed youth in general.
ALSO READWho is Abhijeet Dipke? Former AAP volunteer launched ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ and is now facing backlash
The online movement was launched on May 16 by Abhijeet Dipke, the Boston University-educated man who handled Aam Aadmi Party’s social media and election campaign operations. Dipke has described the campaign as something that initially started as a joke but rapidly grew into a much larger internet movement.
Headquartered “wherever the Wi-Fi works,” the campaign has now become a mix of humour, political commentary, digital activism and youth-led online mobilisation.
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