The Delhi High Court refused to immediately restore the X account of the Cockroach Janta Party following a legal challenge by its founder [1, 2].
The ruling highlights the tension between political expression and digital content moderation under India's IT Rules. By directing the party toward a government-mandated review process, the court reinforces the authority of regulatory committees over immediate judicial intervention for social media suspensions [1, 2].
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav presided over the bench that heard the petition from Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party [1, 2]. Dipke sought the urgent reinstatement of the party's presence on the platform formerly known as Twitter [1, 2].
However, the court declined to grant the immediate restoration. Justice Kaurav said that the content on the account was "slightly offensive" [2]. Because of this determination, the court ruled that the party must first approach the review committee established under the IT Rules to seek relief [1, 2].
The decision means the Cockroach Janta Party cannot bypass the standard administrative appeals process through a direct court order in this instance [1, 2]. The IT Rules review committee is the designated body for evaluating whether content violations justify a permanent or temporary ban [1, 2].
Dipke had argued for the account's return to facilitate political communication, but the court found the nature of the posts precluded an immediate mandate for X to restore the account [1, 2].
“the content ... was "slightly offensive"”
This ruling underscores the primacy of the IT Rules review mechanism in India's digital governance. By refusing to override the suspension, the court signals that 'slightly offensive' content is sufficient to justify a procedural delay, requiring political entities to exhaust administrative remedies before the judiciary will intervene in social media disputes.
