Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officials said the viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is a foreign-influence operation designed to destabilize India.
The allegation suggests that the digital popularity of the CJP does not reflect genuine domestic support, but rather a coordinated effort from abroad to manipulate Indian public perception.
According to the BJP, data regarding the group's social media presence reveals that 49% [1] of the followers of the Cockroach Janta Party are based in Pakistan. The party officials said that only 9% [1] of the movement's support comes from India.
These figures are being used by the BJP to frame the CJP as a tool for external interference. By highlighting the disparity between the Pakistani and Indian follower bases, the BJP aims to discredit the movement's claims of organic growth within the country.
The BJP officials said the campaign is intended to create an illusion of widespread domestic dissatisfaction. This strategy of using foreign bot networks or coordinated accounts is a recurring point of contention in regional digital politics, often leading to accusations of hybrid warfare.
While the Cockroach Janta Party has gained significant traction online, the BJP asserts that the digital footprint is misleading. The party continues to push for greater scrutiny of social media metrics to identify foreign-led influence operations.
“49% of the social-media followers of the viral Cockroach Janta Party are based in Pakistan”
This dispute highlights the growing role of digital forensics in political warfare between India and Pakistan. By attributing viral domestic trends to foreign actors, the BJP is attempting to shift the narrative from internal political criticism to a matter of national security and foreign interference.
