Centre blocks Cockroach Janta Party’s X account in India over ‘national security concerns’
India’s Centre blocked the X account of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over ‘national security concerns’ under Section 69A of the IT Act, following Intelligence Bureau input, though its Instagram account remains accessible for now. The movement, launched after Chief Justice Surya Kant’s controversial court remarks, has over 20 million Instagram followers and has petitioned for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid education system critiques.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered the blocking of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) X account under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, citing ‘national security concerns’ based on Intelligence Bureau (IB) inputs. The account, which had around 90,000 followers at the time of blocking, became inaccessible in India but remains active globally. The move follows the IB flagging content as potentially ‘inflammatory,’ though the exact reasons remain undisclosed under confidential IT Blocking Rules, 2009. The satirical movement emerged on May 16 after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s court remarks comparing ‘unemployed youth’ to ‘cockroaches’ sparked online outrage. Founder Abhijeet Dipke, a former Aam Aadmi Party social media worker, launched CJP as a critique of the education system, citing paper leaks and student suicides. The group’s Instagram account, with over 20 million followers, surpasses major political parties like the BJP (8.7 million) and Congress (13.2 million), while its X account had crossed 2 lakh followers before the block. The blocking order empowers the government to restrict online content in the interest of sovereignty, state security, or public order. A senior official suggested the Instagram account may also face blocking, though it remains accessible for now. Meanwhile, CJP has launched an online petition demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, citing systemic failures, with over 1 lakh signatures collected so far. The incident highlights tensions between free speech and government regulation in India’s digital landscape, particularly for satirical movements gaining rapid traction. While the X account is blocked, the group’s stronghold on Instagram underscores the platform’s role in bypassing restrictions. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific content that triggered the action, leaving the rationale for the block opaque.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.