New Delhi: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have expressed full support for the satirical digital outfit Cockroach Janta Party, TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said on Monday.In a post on X, O'Brien said the TMC leadership remains focused on "fighting the good fight"."Purposive meetings all week with @mamataofficial and @abhishekaitc. Both focused on fighting the good fight. Steely resolve," O'Brien said."Oh and they both expressed their fondness and full support for Cockroaches," he added.Purposive meetings all week with @mamataofficial and @abhishekaitc. Both focused on fighting the good fight. Steely resolve. Oh and they both expressed their fondness and full support for Cockroaches🪳— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) May 25, 2026 After the TMC's defeat in the West Bengal polls, Banerjee has been holding a series of strategy and review meetings with senior leaders and legislators to assess the setback and chart the party's future course.Founded by Boston-based Abhijeet Dipke, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) took social media by storm soon after its launch on May 16, following a controversy over remarks made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, which were widely interpreted as him likening unemployed youths to "cockroaches".According to the CJP website, which has been taken down by the government, a person needs to be "unemployed, lazy, chronically online" and should have the "ability to rant professionally" to become a member.Also Read: Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke’s Maharashtra residence gets police protectionThe digital outfit recently launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged systemic failures in the education sector and the NEET-UG 2026 paper "leak".On Saturday, Dipke alleged a crackdown on the movement, claiming that several of its social media accounts had become inaccessible. He also alleged that the group's backup account was briefly taken down and that his personal Instagram account had been hacked.Also Read: Santy Sharma says Cockroach Janata Party 'feels more like internet drama than a serious movement', cautions Indians in strong-worded postThe original X handle of the CJP was withheld in India on May 21, following which the group resurfaced with a new handle, 'Cockroach is Back', which has 2,27,000 members.The movement has drawn attention for its unconventional symbolism and digital mobilisation strategy, with supporters describing the "cockroach" identity as a form of protest.
Mamata, Abhishek Banerjee back Cockroach Janta Party: TMC leader Derek O'Brien
Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee have voiced their support for the satirical digital group Cockroach Janta Party. This comes as the party reviews its recent electoral performance. The Cockroach Janta Party gained traction online after a controversy involving the Chief Justice of India. The group has faced social media account issues.
TMC leaders Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee publicly backed the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical digital movement launched May 16 that amassed 227,000 followers before its X handle was withheld by Indian authorities on May 21. The episode illustrates how rapidly coordinated digital mobilization can scale — and how quickly governments respond with platform-level suppression, a pattern relevant to any organization operating social channels in regulated markets.
