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New Delhi: A petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation against ‘Cockroach Janata Party,’ the satirical online campaign, which gained a massive following after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s remarks on India’s unemployed youth as “cockroaches and parasites.”

The petition was filed by Advocate Raja Choudhary, who sought action against people using judges’ oral remarks in commercial opportunities. The plea alleges that CJI’s comments were taken out of context and widely shared on social media platforms for monetary gains.

Choudhary clarifies that his plea is not aimed at curbing legitimate criticism of the judiciary, democratic dissent, satire, or constitutionally protected free speech, but at the misuse of judicial proceedings.

‘Cockroach Janata Party’ was born following a controversy over CJI Surya Kant using the terms “parasites” and “cockroaches” while describing the unemployed youth of the country. Although he clarified that his remarks were directed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession through “fake and bogus degrees,” the satirical outfit, which came into being on May 15, quickly went viral, attracting support from politicians, activists, artists, and a large number of young and not-so-young social media users.

On May 21, its Twitter handle was withheld in India and within two days, its official website was taken down. Its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, described as “iconic,” indicates that rising dissent from among India’s youth has begun to come under government crackdown.

On May 23, the CJP’s Instagram accounts and its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, were hacked, while the backup account was taken down from the social media platform.

The meteoric rise has left Dispke’s parents – Bhagwan and Anita Dipke – overwhelmed by fears that he could land in trouble or even face arrest.

They reside in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Speaking to a Marathi news channel on May 21, they said they have lost their sleep after learning about their son’s move.

“If we look at politics nowadays, fear is natural, no matter how many followers he has. In one of his interviews, he himself expressed fear of being arrested after returning to India. We read about such incidents in newspapers,” said Bhagwan Dipke.

Abhijeet’s mother Anita said she would want her son to stay away from politics and instead focus on getting a job. “We just want him to come home safely. Whether he continues in politics will be his decision, but we do not want him to pursue it. I do not know whether he will listen to us or not. I will not support him in this. I am worried about him,” she said.