“Disastrous and Deeply Unwise”: Shashi Tharoor Slams Takedown of Satirical ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ X Account
Congress MP from Senior Constituency Shashi Tharoor has heavily criticized the ban on the X handle, formerly known as Twitter, of the controversially satirical group known as the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP). Describing the cyber crackdown as “disastrous and deeply unwise,” Tharoor said that democracies need to create platforms for young people to air out their views.
The matter arose after the account of CJP was suspended in India after receiving an official legal request on Wednesday, despite having more than two lakhs of followers. The digitally-based satirical group is now taking the internet by storm in India and acquiring an unprecedented fan base. “I am absolutely fascinated with how @CockroachJantaParty has acquired more than 15 million (and now over 19 million) followers in only five days,” tweeted Tharoor, the Thiruvananthapuram MP.
The satirical channel initially gained momentum as a youth movement through the use of memes and parody of politics, pointing out issues such as unemployment. Within one week of its inception, the channel witnessed such an astronomical surge that it even gained more followers on Instagram than many established political entities such as the ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Arguing the importance of the satirical platform, Tharoor stated that banning online mockery could result in a boomerang effect. “I understand the frustration of the youth, and I see why they are drawn to it. It’s precisely because of this that the suspension of CJP’s account on X is both tragic and extremely ill-advised – because the youth need a way to vent their frustrations, and so CJP’s account must continue,” he argued.
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