BJP Kerala chief says 'Cockroach Party' part of bid to destabilise India

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday alleged that the "Cockroach Party", a satirical digital outfit that recently emerged on social media, was part of a cross-border "influence operation" aimed at destabilising India and targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar termed the "#CockroachParty gambit" a "classic cross-border influence operation" allegedly aided by sections of the opposition.

"In the age of social media, bots, AI and its weaponisation, influence operations are dangerous, effective ways to destabilise by building fake, seemingly organic narratives," he said.

The BJP leader further claimed that India's rise and modernisation under Modi's leadership had created resentment among several countries and vested interests.

"I have always maintained India's rise and its modernisation under PM Narendra Modi will be resented by many countries, and there will be many hurdles created for our continued rise," he said in the post.

Referring to global crises including the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, tensions involving the US and Iran, energy shocks and "Chinese aggression", Chandrasekhar said the Modi government had kept India "protected, safe and resilient" while ensuring economic growth.

"That is the mettle of true leadership, and our united response to the challenges of the country and world is the right thing to do today," he added.

He also asserted that "no cockroach, no petty Indian opposition politician, no Modi-hating joker, no foreign vested interest" could derail India's resolve to build a "Viksit Bharat".

The X account of "Cockroach Janata Party" (CJP), a satirical digital handle that surfaced last week and quickly gained traction online, was withheld in India on Thursday.

Soon after, another handle titled "Cockroach is Back", carrying the tagline "Cockroaches Don't Die", appeared on the platform.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru City Police on Friday cautioned the public against participating in or circulating social media messages related to a proposed "peaceful human chain" programme allegedly called by a group identifying itself as "Cockroach Janata Party Karnataka" near Town Hall in Bengaluru on May 24.

In a press note, the police said no permission had been granted for such an event and advised the public not to believe or share the viral messages.

The CJP has drawn support from several young political leaders in Kerala belonging to the ruling Congress, its ally the IUML, and the opposition CPI(M).

Newly elected MLAs Abin Varkey (Congress), P K Navas and T P Ashrafali (IUML), and V K Sanoj CPI(M) on Friday expressed support for the CJP.

The satirical movement has also received backing from student leaders, with Students' Federation of India (SFI) state president M Sivaprasad speaking in its favour.