NTT Desk
The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to grant immediate relief to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), declining to direct the restoration of the social media outfit’s X account that was recently withheld in India. Hearing a petition filed by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, the court observed that certain content posted on the account appeared to be “slightly offensive”, and said the matter warranted wider consideration before any interim order could be passed.
A bench headed by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav made it clear that the court would first hear submissions from both the Union government and social media platform X before taking a final call on the issue. “This requires a holistic consideration,” the bench observed, indicating that no immediate direction for restoration would be issued without hearing all stakeholders. The court also assured the Centre’s counsel that the government’s position would be taken into account before any order was passed.
Abhijeet Dipke, represented by senior advocate Akhil Sibal, argued for the reinstatement of the CJP account, while indicating that the petitioner was willing to accept restrictions on posts deemed objectionable. Kapil Sibal reportedly submitted that even if certain allegedly offensive content remained blocked, the larger account should be restored.
Seeking to strengthen his argument, Kapil Sibal referred to previous instances where courts had granted interim relief in matters involving social media restrictions. However, the bench distinguished the present case from earlier precedents.
“There seems to be a slight difference between other cases and in this case… In this case what seems to be the reason is that the entire activity is per se slightly offending,” the court remarked.
Although the High Court stopped short of restoring the account, it offered Dipke an alternative legal route, allowing him to place his case before the Centre’s review committee responsible for scrutinising orders related to the blocking of online content and social media accounts.
The setback comes at a time when the Cockroach Janta Party, which began as a satirical online movement, has witnessed a rapid rise in popularity, particularly among young people and sections of the Opposition. The controversy erupted after Dipke alleged that CJP’s X account had been withheld in India. Sharing a screenshot of the platform’s notice on social media, he wrote: “As expected Cockroach Janta Party’s account has been withheld in India.”
The timing of the restriction drew significant attention online, especially as the outfit was experiencing a surge in digital engagement. At one stage, the party’s Instagram following reportedly outpaced that of established national political parties, including the BJP.
The origins of the movement trace back to controversial remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing, where he referred to some unemployed youth and online activists as “cockroaches”. Although the Chief Justice later clarified that the remarks were directed at individuals allegedly entering professions with fake qualifications, the phrase quickly took on a life of its own online.
What began as satire soon evolved into a larger social media phenomenon, with many young Indians embracing the label and rallying behind the Cockroach Janta Party as a symbol of political dissent and frustration. Days after the X account was blocked, Abhijeet Dipke also claimed that CJP’s Instagram handle and official website had similarly become inaccessible, raising further questions over the outfit’s digital presence and freedom of expression online.
