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Amid the growing traction his newly launched outfit has received over the past week, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has claimed that he is facing constant threats. The Boston University student also expressed concern for his parents, who live in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The CJP, which began as a satire platform, has amassed more than 20 million followers on Instagram within a week, sparking debate across political circles and social media platforms. Authorities have already blocked the outfit’s X account following intelligence inputs citing a potential threat to national security.

According to Dipke, the idea behind the CJP emerged after a controversy involving Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who allegedly used the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while reprimanding a lawyer seeking senior designation.

Although the CJI later clarified that he had been misquoted and that his remarks were directed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees”, the CJP — adopting the cockroach as its symbol — quickly went viral online.

“I have been getting constant threats both for myself and my family, which is in India. I just received a video in which a man is saying that they have reached outside my home and that I need to wait till evening to see what happens next,” Abhijeet told The Indian Express.

He added that his family should not have to bear the consequences of his decisions.

His parents, Bhagwan and Anita Dipke, told a Marathi news channel on Thursday that they were not keen on their son entering politics and admitted they had lost sleep after learning about his move. Anita said she would want her son to stay away from politics and instead focus on getting a job.

Despite the concerns, Abhijeet claimed that Gen Z supporters are pushing him to continue the campaign, even though he has not yet charted out a long-term strategy for the outfit.

“I had not thought this far ahead; this had begun as a satire. But let’s see what the people say; we are going to take suggestions and see how it turns out,” he said.

Abhijeet also rejected attempts to “defame” the campaign by comparing it to political developments in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

“We have clarified that we are very democratic people and whatever we do to express our dissent will remain within the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and in a peaceful manner. Don’t even try to compare Indian Gen Z with others because the Gen Z here is more educated — in fact, more educated than those running the country right now,” he told the newspaper.

The CJP platform has rapidly gained popularity through sharp political satire, memes, and commentary. Much of its content focuses on youth-centric issues such as unemployment, examination paper leaks, and education, presented through graphics, animations, mock manifestos, and charter-style demands.