The Cockroach Janta Party – courtesy photo

A youth-led group in India that highlights Gen Z concerns has gone viral on social media just five days after its launch, according to Reuters news.

The group, called the Cockroach Janta Party, has gained nearly 15 million followers on Instagram in less than a week, overtaking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and describes itself as the world’s largest political party.

The Cockroach Janta Party presents itself as the “Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed” and uses humour to discuss issues such as politics, inflation and unemployment. Its logo shows the outline of a cockroach on a mobile phone.

The group was founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, who said the name was inspired by comments made by Chief Justice Surya Kant last week comparing some unemployed youth to cockroaches.

Kant later clarified that he did not intend to criticise young people but was referring to those with “fake and bogus degrees” who were “like parasites”.

The group’s Instagram page features graphics and videos created by members, discussing issues including media independence and proposals to reserve half of parliament and cabinet seats for women.

It also highlighted the recent cancellation of a national medical college entrance exam after a question paper was leaked, affecting about 2.3 million students.