Government blocks ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ X account over national security concerns

The Centre directed X to withhold the account of “Cockroach Janta Party” in India on Thursday after the Intelligence Bureau flagged it over alleged national security concerns, according to a senior government official.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the order under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, following inputs from the IB.

The official said the agency believed the account was posting “inflammatory content” that could threaten India’s sovereignty and security.

“The concern stemmed from the fact that the account’s content was gaining traction among young people,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because blocking orders are confidential.

The account remained accessible outside India and had crossed 200,000 followers on X by Thursday evening. A second official said the blocking order was sent when the account had around 90,000 followers.

An associated Instagram account, which had over 20.7 million followers on Friday, has not yet been blocked in India. However, a senior official said the process to block it is underway.

The satirical platform was launched after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant referred to certain people “attacking” institutions as “cockroaches” during a court hearing on May 15. The remarks sparked criticism online, prompting the CJI to later clarify that he was referring to individuals with “fake and bogus degrees” who had entered professions including law and media.

Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old from Maharashtra currently in Boston, created the “Cockroach Janta Party” account shortly after the remarks. He later said the initiative aimed to change political discourse and make politicians more accountable.

After the account was withheld in India, Dipke announced a new X handle called “Cockroach Is Back” and urged supporters to join it.