‘Makhi Janta Party’ emerges over CJI's hammer-fly remark, says 'contacting CJP for mutual agreement'

A satirical outfit called the Makhi Janta Party (MJP) has emerged online following a recent remark by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, drawing parallels with the rise of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as a satirical response to his earlier remarks referring to a section of youth as "cockroaches" and went on to evolve into a movement.

The MJP on Tuesday claimed to have amassed over 40 lakh views and more than 330,000 followers on Instagram in 72 hours. Its page identifies a person named Aaryan, a student, as its founder, while a story posted on the account said the outfit was looking for spokespersons.

The social media page, whose joining date is June 2021, and has changed its username eight times before makhijantaparty.ig, according to the account information.

One of its post indicate it ‘Makhi Janta Party’ name emerged from CJI Surya Kant's recent ‘hammer-to-kill-a-fly’ remark while questioning the rationale for a blanket shutdown in Delhi ahead of the CJP protest on October 10, emphasising that security concerns could justify regulating public transport but not bringing the entire system to a halt. “Jab CJI ne hi kaha — "Can't use hammer to kill a fly!” ab to makkhi bhi bolegi hum bhi kisi se kum nahi [(When CJI himself said — "Can't use hammer to kill a fly!” Now fly will now say it's no less than anyone].

A Supreme Court bench had observed during a hearing on October 9 that stopping something and regulating are two different concepts. "One can regulate but it is completely different to put a halt on everything…you cannot stop everything,” the bench had said, adding that authorities could not use a “hammer to kill a fly [makkhi]”.

In a statement on Instagram, the MJP said it supported Bora's "courage and determination" and described raising questions and demanding accountability as essential to democracy. It also noted that the recent protest was held without the required permission from the authorities, urging citizens to exercise their right to protest responsibly and in accordance with the law.

The MJP further said it was trying to contact CJP to explore the possibility of a common stand or coordinated action, subject to mutual agreement.

In another statement signed by Aaryan on Tuesday, identified as the outfit's founding president and a student, the MJP questioned the detention of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das after they breached Jantar Mantar on Tuesday and hoisted the Indian flag.

Pointing out that Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site, the statement argued that restricting protests to locations far from the public eye could diminish their impact. "So what's the point of a protest site if people can't make their voices heard where it matters?" it asked.

"Democracy needs dialogue, not distance," the statement added, reiterating the outfit's support for peaceful protest, democratic rights and public participation.

The MJP's emergence comes against the backdrop of CJP's rise from satire to a wider movement. The outfit had gained traction following the controversy over the use of the word "cockroaches" for a section of young people, eventually becoming associated with protests and political accountability demands. The movement also saw the resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, giving in to the protests against alleged exam irregularities in the country led from Jantar Mantar in July this year.