Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has extended support to the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Hours later, a post by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanking Banerjee for her support was restricted on X, with the platform citing “local regulations”.
Dipke had posted on X: “Thank you @MamataOfficial ma'am for extending your support to the cockroach movement! All Indians need to come together to save democracy!” The post was subsequently made inaccessible, with X displaying a notice stating that it had been restricted due to local regulations.
The restriction prompted Dipke to suggest that his entire X account could also be taken down ahead of the CJP’s proposed October 10 protest in Delhi.
“Won’t be surprised if the govt takes down my handle before Oct 10,” Dipke wrote.
Banerjee expressed her support for the CJP agitation on Friday after returning from Delhi, where she had attended an INDIA bloc meeting.
Speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport, the former chief minister said, “We are fully supporting the Cockroach (Janta) Party and all the young generation and students.”
Her comments came as the CJP stepped up its campaign seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The organisation has raised allegations concerning electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien had shared Dipke’s post before it became inaccessible. O’Brien said Banerjee had “come out strongly in support of Cockroach” and referred to Dipke’s message thanking her for the backing.
O’Brien also suggested that the government was responsible for the restriction, describing it as the action of a “scared” government. However, no independent evidence has established who initiated the restriction. X’s notification cited only “local regulations”.
CJP announces October 10 Delhi protest
The latest development comes a day after the CJP held a demonstration at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park demanding Kumar’s resignation. Dipke subsequently announced that the organisation would hold a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10 if the Chief Election Commissioner did not step down.
Dipke said the proposed Delhi demonstration would be peaceful and called on citizens who support free and fair elections to join the protest.
The CJP’s campaign has focused on allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and its demand for Kumar’s resignation. The Election Commission has maintained that decisions concerning the SIR process were taken through the prescribed institutional process.
