The official Instagram account of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was briefly unavailable on Saturday morning before being restored, according to the movement and its founder Abhijeet Dipke. The development prompted Dipke to publicly question the action and accuse those opposed to the organisation of attempting to suppress its voice on Independence Day.
Dipke, who founded the CJP movement, posted screenshots showing that the organisation’s Instagram page was unavailable and appeared with a “user not found” message. In a post on X, he alleged that the official account had been taken down and described those responsible as “bloody cowards.”
The CJP subsequently confirmed that its Instagram handle had been inaccessible earlier in the day but said that the account had been successfully recovered. The movement did not provide a detailed explanation for why the account became unavailable or specify whether the action was the result of a platform enforcement decision, a technical issue or another cause.
CJP says Instagram account was recovered
The incident unfolded on August 15, India’s Independence Day, adding political significance to the dispute in the eyes of the CJP leadership.
After the account was restored, the movement criticised people it described as opponents for allegedly choosing Independence Day to try to silence its online presence. The organisation said it would not be intimidated and maintained that attempts to restrict its digital communication would not stop its activities.
Dipke’s initial post drew attention because the screenshots appeared to show the official Instagram account as unavailable. His subsequent reaction framed the incident as an attempt to suppress the movement rather than simply a temporary social-media disruption.
However, there was no immediate publicly established explanation confirming who was responsible for the account’s temporary unavailability. Dipke alleged that the platform had removed the account, but the precise reason for the takedown was not immediately clear.
The account was later accessible again, effectively ending the immediate disruption.
Previous social-media access dispute
The latest incident is not the first time Dipke and the CJP have reported difficulties involving their social-media accounts.
In May, Dipke claimed that his personal Instagram account had been hacked and that he had lost access to it. He also alleged that a backup account being used by the CJP had subsequently been taken down.
At that time, Dipke said the organisation was facing difficulties accessing multiple online platforms. He urged followers to be cautious about posts appearing on accounts that the organisation could not control and indicated that communications made through compromised or inaccessible accounts should not automatically be treated as official statements.
The latest Instagram episode therefore comes against the backdrop of earlier concerns raised by the CJP regarding its ability to maintain control over its social-media presence.
CJP’s growing reliance on digital platforms
Social media has become an important communication channel for political and activist groups, particularly organisations seeking to reach younger audiences without relying exclusively on traditional political structures.
For a relatively new movement such as the CJP, online platforms provide a way to publicise campaigns, communicate with supporters and respond quickly to political developments. Any interruption in access can therefore have an impact beyond the immediate loss of an account.
The CJP’s response to the Instagram incident also reflects the broader political importance it places on maintaining its digital voice. By publicly highlighting the disappearance and subsequent restoration of the account, the movement sought to draw attention to what it viewed as an attempt to restrict its communication.
At the same time, the circumstances surrounding the takedown remain unclear. There was no immediate evidence publicly establishing whether the account was removed following a specific complaint, automated enforcement, a security-related issue or a technical problem.
‘School Thik Karo’ campaign planned for Independence Day
The Instagram controversy coincided with another major activity planned by the CJP on Independence Day.
The movement was scheduled to launch its “School Thik Karo” campaign from Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, which is associated with Dipke.
The campaign focuses on the condition of rural government schools and seeks to draw attention to basic infrastructure and accountability. According to Dipke, the initiative will involve teams visiting villages and engaging with local residents and village leaders about shortcomings in government-school facilities.
Dipke said the campaign would begin by approaching the local sarpanch and requesting improvements to the village government school. Among the basic facilities highlighted were benches and drinking water.
The movement has said that the campaign is intended to rely on public participation rather than simply political demonstrations. Its teams are expected to visit villages, identify problems and encourage residents and local authorities to work together to address them.
Dipke has also appealed to parents and other members of the public to visit schools attended by their children and report missing facilities or other problems to the CJP.
Focus on rural education
The “School Thik Karo” campaign represents an attempt by the CJP to broaden its activities beyond protests and political messaging and focus on local governance and public services.
Education infrastructure in rural areas remains a recurring public concern, particularly where schools lack basic amenities, adequate buildings, roads or other facilities required for students to attend classes safely and regularly.
By focusing on these issues, the CJP intends to position the campaign around practical problems faced by communities rather than limiting its activities to political demonstrations.
Dipke has argued that public participation should form an important part of the initiative. The campaign’s stated approach involves residents identifying problems in their own communities and approaching local authorities to seek solutions.
Social-media controversy adds another dimension
The temporary disappearance of the CJP Instagram account comes at a time when the movement has been increasingly active in public campaigns and student-related issues.
The organisation has previously participated in student protests and used social media extensively to communicate its position, mobilise supporters and publicise developments surrounding its activities.
For Dipke and the CJP, the restoration of the Instagram account means that the immediate disruption has been resolved. However, the episode has again raised questions within the movement about the security and continuity of its social-media presence.
The allegations made by Dipke remain his claims, and the available information does not independently establish who caused the account to become unavailable or why it was temporarily removed.
Account restored, but questions remain
The CJP Instagram account was ultimately restored, allowing the movement to regain access to an important communication platform. The incident nevertheless became a prominent talking point for Dipke on Independence Day, with the CJP portraying the temporary takedown as an effort to silence its activities.
The organisation has indicated that it will continue with its planned public initiatives, including the “School Thik Karo” campaign in rural Maharashtra.
While the immediate social-media disruption appears to have been resolved, the episode highlights the growing importance of digital platforms for emerging political and social movements. It also demonstrates how the temporary loss of an online account can quickly become a wider political issue when the organisation involved believes its communication channels are being targeted.
For now, the CJP has regained control of its Instagram presence, while the exact circumstances behind the temporary disappearance of the account remain unclear.