The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the blocking directive under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, based on information from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), as reported by The Indian Express.
Sources referenced in the report indicated that the IB had flagged the account for content deemed potentially “inflammatory,” which could pose risks to “national security.”
Section 69A allows the government to restrict public access to online content for reasons of sovereignty, state security, or public order. The process is governed by the IT Blocking Rules, 2009, which remain confidential and undisclosed to the public.
Account suspended in India after significant growth
As a result of the order, the X account is no longer accessible in India, although it is still active outside the country.
The report states that the account had surpassed 200,000 followers globally when the blocking took place. However, a senior official mentioned that the order was issued when the account had around 90,000 followers.
The Instagram account associated with the movement continues to be accessible in India.
“Nevertheless, it is probable that the Instagram account will also be blocked, and that process is in progress,” the senior official informed the publication.
Social media reach outpacing major political parties
The movement has gained considerable popularity on Instagram, where its follower count reportedly exceeds that of several major political parties.
As of Friday afternoon, publicly available figures show the Bharatiya Janata Party with about 8.7 million Instagram followers, the Indian National Congress with around 13.2 million, and the Aam Aadmi Party with approximately 1.9 million followers.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s Instagram account had about 20.1 million followers as of May 22.
Petition calls for education minister’s resignation
In the wake of its X account being blocked, the group initiated an online petition demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The petition, circulated by founder Abhijeet Dipke, highlighted issues such as paper leaks, student suicides, and alleged systemic failures within the education system.
“Consequences are necessary,” stated the petition.
The campaign has reportedly gathered over 100,000 signatures.
Origins of the movement
The initiative began on May 16, sparked by remarks made during a court hearing by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, which went viral on social media.
Discussions around the hearing suggested that comments likening “unemployed youth” critical of the system to “cockroaches” fueled criticism, memes, and satirical content online.
In response to the controversy, Dipke, a former social media worker linked to the Aam Aadmi Party, established the satirical political movement Cockroach Janta Party.
