Delhi High Court Seeks Centre’s Reply on Blocking of Cockroach Janta Party’s X Handle

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Central government and social media platform X over a petition challenging the blocking of the Cockroach Janta Party’s account, a satirical online movement that recently drew significant attention across social media platforms.

The petition was filed by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the digital collective, who alleged that the X account was withheld in India without prior notice or an opportunity to present his side. The matter came up before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who directed both the Centre and X to submit their responses within four weeks.

While hearing the plea, the court declined to provide immediate interim relief for restoring the account. Instead, it directed the Review Committee under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to examine the petitioner’s grievance and take appropriate steps under the law. The next hearing in the matter is expected in July.

Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Dipke, argued that the blocking of the entire account was excessive and disproportionate. He contended that in earlier instances involving controversial online content, authorities had ordered removal of specific posts rather than restricting complete accounts. According to the petitioner, the action violated constitutional protections related to free speech and expression.

The Centre opposed the plea during the proceedings, although detailed arguments are expected to be presented in subsequent hearings. The court observed that the issue raised important questions concerning intermediary liability, digital censorship and regulation of online content in India.

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged as an internet-based satirical movement earlier this month and quickly gained traction among social media users. The phrase became widely discussed online after comments made during a Supreme Court hearing triggered memes, digital campaigns and political satire across platforms.

Reports suggest that the original X handle associated with the movement was withheld in India on May 21. Following the restriction, several alternate accounts and online campaigns surfaced in support of the group, with users criticising the move as an attempt to curb satire and dissent in digital spaces.