Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke will appear before a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) review committee today at 3 PM regarding the withholding of the party's X account, @CJP_2029, in India. The account was withheld on May 21 under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, following a legal demand, according to medianama.com.
Dipke announced on X that he would personally attend the hearing, which follows his appeal against the blocking of the original CJP X handle. The account was launched on May 16 and quickly gained over 200,000 followers within four days before it was withheld in India. The government has not publicly disclosed the reasons for the blocking, and the hearing is part of an inter-ministerial committee review process.
The withholding of the CJP X account highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms and content in India, particularly under Section 69A, which allows the government to block content deemed a threat to sovereignty or public order. The swift growth of the CJP account and its subsequent ban reflect the challenges faced by online collectives and youth-led digital movements in navigating India's digital policy environment.
The hearing scheduled for 3 PM today will determine the next steps regarding the status of the CJP X account in India, with Dipke's appearance marking a key moment in the appeal process against the government's decision to withhold the account.