According to screenshots shared by Dipke, his personal Instagram account was abruptly locked. Meta’s automated recovery system displayed a message stating, “We locked your Instagram account for your safety. To recover your account, you’ll need to verify your identity and create a new password.” Dipke stated he has repeatedly attempted to navigate the recovery process but has been unable to regain access.
The development comes just hours after the government reportedly ordered X (formerly Twitter) to withhold the official CJP handle within India, citing “national security concerns.” Simultaneously, the movement’s backup Instagram account was briefly taken down before being restored hours later.
The digital crackdown has triggered widespread concern among the millions of young supporters driving the satirical political movement, which has dominated online conversations over the past week. While the official CJP Instagram handle—boasting over 16 million followers—remains active for now, a senior government official indicated that a ban may be imminent.
“It is likely that the Instagram account would also be blocked, and that process is currently underway,” the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, X complied with a confidential directive from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to withhold the primary @CockroachJantaParty handle within Indian jurisdiction.
Officials confirmed the action was taken under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, following inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
“MeitY received an input from the IB to block the X account… citing that it posed a threat to the sovereignty of India,” a government official said. “The IB believed that the account was posting inflammatory content which could have jeopardised national security. In particular, the concern stemmed from the fact that the account’s content was gaining traction among young people.”
Section 69(A) empowers the Central government to restrict public access to digital content in the interest of India’s sovereignty, integrity, security, and public order. Because blocking orders operate under a strict confidential framework, queries sent to MeitY, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and X did not elicit an official response.
Before being withheld, the X account had surged past 200,000 followers. In response to the ban, the 30-year-old Maharashtra native, who is currently based in Boston, launched an alternative handle, @CockroachIsBack, urging his followers to migrate.
Accidental Origin
The Cockroach Janta Party was born entirely by accident following a controversial metaphor used by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on May 15.
While reprimanding an aspiring lawyer who had filed a questionable petition, the CJI remarked:
“There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in (the) profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The comments triggered an immediate public uproar. Chief Justice Surya Kant later clarified his remarks, stating it was “totally baseless” to suggest he was criticizing the nation’s youth, explaining that his frustration was aimed strictly at individuals entering noble professions with fake or bogus degrees.
However, the “cockroach” label had already gone viral. Capitalizing on the moment, Dipke designed an AI-generated poster for the “Cockroach Janta Party” and posted an online membership form as a satirical protest against youth unemployment and political accountability garnering an overwhelming response.
The movement quickly split public opinion. While prominent opposition figures like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra publicly amplified the account, critics dismissed it as a passing internet trend.
With both federal blocking orders and mysterious hacking attempts now targeting the platform, the satirical movement finds itself at the center of a much larger battle over digital free speech and government regulation.
