In May 2026 a clip spread showing YouTuber Dhruv Rathee apparently exposing the Cockroach Janta Party for buying fake Instagram followers. It is false: the clip was edited from an April 2026 video about AAP leader Raghav Chadha, with screenshots of the CJP's page inserted.
Claim: Dhruv Rathee "exposed" the CJP's surge of Instagram followers as fake.
Said by: A viral clip shared on X, including by the handle @homelander_ji.
What the record shows: The footage comes from a 27 April 2026 Instagram video by Rathee about Raghav Chadha's account. Visuals of the CJP's handle were added later. Newschecker
Where the claim came from
The CJP gained followers at an unusual speed: 3 million in 78 hours and about 22 million by 23 May 2026. Wikipedia That growth invited questions about whether the numbers were real, and claims about Pakistani followers were already spreading. Alt News
Into this came a clip of Rathee, one of India's best-known political YouTubers, explaining how an account's followers had been inflated, with CJP screenshots on screen. It was shared on X by @homelander_ji, among others, as Rathee "exposing" the movement. Newschecker did not report the clip's reach. Newschecker
What the evidence shows
Documented Newschecker reviewed Rathee's official accounts and found no post accusing the CJP of fake followers. His only video on the party in that period, posted on 20 May 2026, covered the organisation's background. Newschecker
A reverse image search led to an Instagram post by Rathee dated 27 April 2026, three weeks before the CJP existed. Its visuals matched the viral clip. In that original, Rathee discusses Raghav Chadha and alleged fake followers on Chadha's Instagram account, and only Chadha's profile appears on screen. Newschecker
Newschecker concluded on 23 May 2026 that "Dhruv Rathee did not expose or accuse the Cockroach Janata Party of using fake Instagram followers," and that "unrelated visuals were inserted to create a misleading narrative." It rated the video altered. Newschecker
The only independent checks on the CJP's audience point the other way. Decode ran the account through MoDash and HypeAuditor and found a mostly Indian audience, while noting that no outside tool can measure follower location precisely. Decode
Context
Rathee later openly supported the CJP. He joined its voter-roll rally in Bengaluru on 8 October 2026, saying "I am not here for regime change." Oneindia The edited clip therefore put words in the mouth of someone who went on to back the movement. See our Cockroach Janta Party protests page for the full record.
Questions people ask
Did Dhruv Rathee say the CJP has fake followers?
No. Newschecker found no such statement on his official accounts. The viral clip was edited from a video about Raghav Chadha.
What did Dhruv Rathee actually say about the CJP?
He posted a video on the party's background on 20 May 2026 and later spoke at its Bengaluru rally on 8 October, where he said he was "not here for regime change".
Are the CJP's followers real?
No public evidence shows they are fake. Third-party tools checked by Decode showed a mostly Indian audience.
Sources
- Newschecker: Edited video shared to show Dhruv Rathee exposing CJP, 23 May 2026
- Decode: The claims used to discredit Cockroach Janta Party don't hold up, 26 May 2026
- Alt News: Claim that majority of CJP followers are Pakistani is false, 22 May 2026
- Wikipedia: Cockroach Janta Party, accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Oneindia: "Not here for regime change", says Dhruv Rathee, 8 Oct 2026
