Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised the withholding of the Cockroach Janata Party account on X in India, calling the move "foolish" in a democracy.
The account was reportedly withheld in India on May 20 following a legal complaint. The satirical platform had recently gained massive attention online, with more than 2 lakh followers on X and millions of followers on Instagram within days.
In a detailed post on X, Tharoor defended the need for democratic spaces for satire, dissent, and public frustration.
He wrote, "I welcome the pushback to my post and interview on the #CockroachJantaParty phenomenon. Many users dismissed it as a Pakistani-manufactured conspiracy, but that is too simplistic: there are also counter-claims by Abhijeet Dipke that 94% of his followers are based in India."
'Suppressing it is foolish in a democracy'
Tharoor further said, "Whatever be the truth (and perhaps Instagram should put the record straight), my point is that suppressing it is foolish in a democracy. Democracy’s great virtue is the outlets it provides for public sentiment, frustration, and grievances. Letting these be aired on a satirical site IS in the national interest."
The Congress MP also said that such online movements reflected growing sentiments among young people.
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He wrote, "Whatever be the founders' motivations, there is no denying that they have tapped into an important strain of national sentiment among our youth."
Tharoor added that both the government and opposition should address the dissatisfaction among young Indians instead of ignoring it.
I welcome the pushback to my post and interview on the #CockroachJantaParty phenomenon. Many users dismissed it as a Pakistani-manufactured conspiracy, but that is too simplistic: there are also counter-claims by @abhijeet_dipke that 94% of his followers are based in India.…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 22, 2026
Pressure cooker comparison by Tharoor
Drawing a comparison with a pressure cooker, Tharoor said, "Such movements serve like the valves on a pressure-cooker, letting off steam. If the valves were closed, the cooker would explode under the pressure."
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He added, "I prefer satire to chaos, anarchy or revolution. I also feel it is our job to identify and deliver solutions to the problems of Young India. Let's lift the ban and tune in!"
The Cockroach Janata Party was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a student of Boston University. His parents recently told a local Marathi news channel that they were worried about his growing political involvement.
