The court said the matter involves 'far-reaching issues' and sought the Centre's response on the blocking of the Cockroach Janta Party X account over national security concerns.

No immediate restoration

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to order the immediate restoration of the Cockroach Janta Party’s X account, dealing a preliminary setback to the satirical online collective that had gathered millions of followers within weeks. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that while the petitioner’s arguments might have merit, the government must be heard first because the case carries “far-reaching issues”.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who challenged the blocking of the party’s account under national security provisions. The court made it clear that any relief could only be considered after the Centre submits its stand.

Centre asked to respond

The Union government has been given four weeks to file a detailed reply. The next hearing is listed for July 6. The court also noted that neither the judges nor Dipke’s legal team have seen the actual blocking order so far.

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has been asked to cooperate. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, indicated that the government had concerns about the platform’s conduct in this matter, remarking that the intermediary appeared to be “assisting” the petitioner.

Review panel to examine blocking order

In a notable direction, the court said the blocking order must be reviewed by the statutory committee formed under the Information Technology Rules. That committee is required to meet every two months and has the power to examine all aspects of such orders.

Since Dipke is currently based in Boston, USA, the court added that he could request permission to appear before the review panel through video conferencing. The bench observed that confidentiality concerns around the blocking order could be examined later, but for now the review mechanism must be allowed to function.

National security grounds

According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed X to withhold the CJP account under Section 69A of the IT Act after receiving inputs from the Intelligence Bureau that raised national security concerns. Dipke’s petition, filed through advocate Nakul Gandhi of NG Law Chambers, argues that the move is disproportionate and stifles political satire.

The government has not publicly disclosed the specific content that triggered the blocking order. The court acknowledged that the absence of such details makes it difficult to assess the case at this stage.

How the Cockroach Janta Party emerged

The Cockroach Janta Party started earlier this month as an online spoof movement that rapidly went viral, especially among young social media users. At its peak, the group claimed hundreds of thousands of followers on X and over 22 million on Instagram.

The name drew from a remark made by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15. The CJI had spoken about unemployed young lawyers drifting toward social media and RTI activism, using the phrase “youngsters like cockroaches”. He later clarified that the comment targeted people using fake degrees, not unemployed youth in general. Dipke, who lives in Boston, repurposed the phrase to build a satirical platform commenting on unemployment, institutional accountability and media freedom.

Free speech arguments

Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, representing Dipke, argued that the CJP account was “pure satire” and requested temporary restoration of the account while the case proceeds. He suggested an intermediate solution – keeping individual posts blocked rather than the entire account.

The court was not persuaded to grant urgent relief. Justice Kaurav observed that this case appeared different from earlier instances where blocked accounts had been restored during legal proceedings, largely because the legal framework around such issues is still developing. “The reasons behind the blocking remain unclear,” the bench noted, adding that a full hearing after the government’s reply would be the appropriate course.

The court also asked the review committee to expedite its examination. For now, the Cockroach Janta Party’s X account stays blocked, and its millions of followers will have to wait until at least July for any possible clarity.