News Desk: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to grant immediate relief to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke in his petition challenging the blocking of the party’s X account on grounds of national security. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notices to the Union Government and social media platform X, but refused to order restoration of the account at this stage, observing that the matter involved “far-reaching consequences” and required detailed consideration after hearing all parties.
During the hearing, the court remarked that the issues raised carried wider implications and needed to be examined holistically. The Bench granted the Centre four weeks to file its detailed response and fixed the next hearing for July 6. Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for Dipke, argued that the blocking order had been issued without giving the petitioner an opportunity to be heard. He sought interim restoration of the account and urged the court to direct X to place the blocking order on record.
Also Read: Himanta Biswa Sarma Says ‘Viksit Assam’ Vision Depends on Inclusive Growth
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and the Additional Solicitor General opposed the plea on behalf of the Centre. The court noted that neither it nor the petitioner had seen the blocking order and said the issue could be considered later after the government files its response. The court further observed that the present case appeared different from earlier disputes involving blocked social media accounts, indicating that the concerns may relate to the overall activity of the account rather than specific posts.
The Bench also directed the Review Committee constituted under the Information Technology Rules, 2009 to examine Dipke’s challenge and place its findings on record. Dipke’s X handle was blocked by the Central Government citing national security concerns, prompting the legal challenge before the High Court.
