The Delhi High Court has mandated the restoration of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) X social media account following the Central Government’s declaration of no opposition. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued the order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, confirmed the lack of any objection to the account’s reactivation.
Background of the Account Blocking
Solicitor General Mehta explained that the account was initially blocked due to concerns surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The government was apprehensive about posts that might cause confusion among the vast number of students and parents involved in the examination. “It was blocked at a time when the NEET examination was to take place. Several posts on X could have created chaos among students and parents. Now the examination is over,” Mehta stated.
High Court Proceedings
The Court’s decision followed a plea by CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, challenging the government’s blocking order. The petition, filed by advocate Nakul Gandhi of NG Law Chambers, argued against the ban implemented on alleged national security grounds. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), acting on inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), had invoked Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to withhold the account.
Previously, during a hearing on May 29, the Court had refrained from ordering an immediate restoration of the account, emphasizing the need to consider the government’s stance due to the issue’s broader implications. The Court indicated it would assess whether X could be compelled to disclose the blocking order after the Union government submitted a detailed response.
The Cockroach Janta Party Movement
The Cockroach Janta Party arose as a satirical online movement, resonating with a younger audience on social media platforms. Gaining substantial traction with hundreds of thousands of followers on X and over 22 million on Instagram, the movement emerged from Supreme Court proceedings on May 15. During these proceedings, CJI Surya Kant highlighted concerns regarding young, unemployed lawyers gravitating towards social media and RTI activism rather than traditional legal practice. His metaphorical comparison of such individuals to “cockroaches” sparked the movement.
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Later clarifying his remarks, CJI Kant specified that his comments targeted individuals entering professions under false pretenses, not young Indians in general. Under the leadership of Boston-based Abhijit Dipke, the CJP employs political satire to address issues like unemployment, institutional accountability, and media freedom. The group has actively protested at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to alleged leaks of NEET and other examination papers.
For further updates, follow live coverage on this developing story.
