The Centre reportedly directed X (formerly Twitter) to withhold the account of the viral satirical platform “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) in India after intelligence agencies flagged the handle as a potential “national security threat,” according to a report by The Indian Express.
The report stated that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the direction under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act following inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). A senior government official quoted by the newspaper said the agency believed the account was posting “inflammatory content” that “could have jeopardised the country’s national security.”
Officials also reportedly expressed concern over the page’s rapidly growing influence among young Indians. “The concern stemmed from the fact that the account’s content was gaining traction among young people,” the report quoted the official as saying.
Although the X handle has now been withheld in India, the account remains accessible internationally. Reports said the blocking order was issued when the page had around 90,000 followers on X, but its following later crossed 200,000 before restrictions took effect. Its Instagram page, meanwhile, remained active and had amassed more than 15 million followers by Thursday evening.
The “Cockroach Janta Party” emerged as an online satire movement after controversial remarks by Chief Justice Surya Kant about unemployed youth triggered outrage online. The movement quickly transformed into a wider Gen Z-led digital protest around unemployment, inflation, media freedom and political alienation.
Founded by Abhijeet Dipke, the platform describes itself as the “Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed” and has gained massive traction through memes, livestreams and political satire targeting mainstream parties and institutions. Reuters reported that over 400,000 people had already signed up as members within days of its launch.
The blocking of the account has triggered sharp reactions from Opposition leaders and activists. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the move, calling it “Fascism Not Democracy,” and alleged that the government was “scared of the youth of this country.”
Legal experts note that Section 69A empowers the government to block online content in the interest of sovereignty, public order and national security, though such orders are typically issued under a confidential framework and are rarely made public in full.
