India's Cockroach Janta Party challenges X account block in Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on May 29 issued notices to the Union government and social media platform X after the founder of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, petitioned against the blocking of the party’s X account. The court did not order immediate unblocking but directed a review committee under the Information Technology Rules to examine the case and report by July 7. The block, imposed on May 21, was based on inputs from the Centre and the Intelligence Bureau citing national‑security concerns.

The CJP, a viral movement that grew from a comment by India’s chief justice referring to unemployed youth as “cockroaches,” now claims around 22‑23 million followers on Instagram. Its founder says the party’s X handle, Instagram page, and website were hacked or taken down following the crackdown. Dipke contends the movement is a satire‑driven platform for youth grievances and denies allegations that most followers are bots or foreign accounts, presenting data that 94 % are Indian users.