NEW DELHI: An Indian court on Tuesday directed the federal government to unblock the X account of the youth-based Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), more than a month after it was withheld following concerns over its online activity during a national medical entrance examination.
The order was issued after the government informed the Delhi High Court that it had no objection to restoring access to the account, according to a lawyer involved in the case.
Despite the ruling, the account remained inaccessible in India on Tuesday evening, with X stating it had been withheld “in response to a legal demand.”
Why Was the Account Blocked?
The government told the court that the account had been restricted over concerns that its posts could create public disorder during the reconducted national medical college entrance examination.
The examination was held again after question papers were leaked, triggering widespread criticism and protests over the integrity of the testing process.
How Has the Party Responded?
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as a significant victory for the party, its movement and digital free speech.
Since the original account was blocked, the party has continued communicating with supporters through an alternative X account while organising sit-in demonstrations demanding the resignation of India’s education minister over the examination controversy.
What Is the Cockroach Janta Party?
The Cockroach Janta Party is a youth-focused political movement that describes itself as representing “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct.”
The group’s X account reportedly gained around 200,000 followers within days of its launch before it was blocked, while its Instagram presence has grown to nearly 22 million followers.
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the group, describing it as part of an “anti-India gang.”
The court’s decision comes amid ongoing debate in India over freedom of expression, online censorship and the regulation of digital platforms.