Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, May 29: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to immediately restore the X account of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), observing that some of the content posted on the social media handle appeared to be “slightly offensive”.
The court was hearing a plea filed by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke challenging the blocking of the party’s account in India.
Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for Dipke, urged the court to direct restoration of the account. He submitted that the petitioner had no objection if certain posts flagged as objectionable continued to remain withheld.
During the hearing, Sibal also referred to previous cases in which courts had granted interim relief in similar disputes involving social media platforms, according to reports.
However, the bench noted that the present matter appeared different from earlier cases.
“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 observed.
The High Court further stated that the matter required “holistic consideration” and said no interim order would be passed until arguments from both the Union government and social media platform X were heard.
“There may be some substance in your submissions, but they all need to be considered. They will be considered holistically after hearing the other side. There are far-reaching issues. There are wider ramifications,” the judge remarked.
The court also said it would examine whether X could be directed to place the blocking order on record after the Centre files a detailed response.
The Union government has been granted four weeks to submit its reply, and the matter has now been listed for hearing on July 6.
While declining immediate relief, the court permitted Dipke to approach the Centre’s review committee, which examines orders related to the blocking of social media accounts.
“I can ask the review committee, if you are willing, you appear. In the meantime, you may appear before them,” the court stated.
The controversy erupted after the Cockroach Janta Party alleged that its official X account had been withheld in India. Dipke had shared a screenshot of the restriction notice along with a post stating that the party’s account had been blocked.
The CJP initially began as a satirical political outfit but later gained significant traction among sections of youth and opposition supporters on social media platforms.
The outfit reportedly amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on X and over 22 million followers on Instagram.
The name “Cockroach Janta Party” emerged following controversial remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant regarding unemployed youth and social media activism.
The term was subsequently adopted by several young users online, contributing to the rapid rise in the party’s popularity and digital presence.