The Delhi High Court will hear on May 29 a petition filed by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke challenging the Central government’s decision to block the party’s X (formerly Twitter) account on grounds of national security.
The matter is listed before the single-judge Bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav.
Dipke has questioned the legality and constitutional validity of the blocking order issued by the Union government, contending that the action violates the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
According to the plea, the X handle of CJP was withheld pursuant to directions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The government is understood to have invoked provisions relating to national security while directing the social media platform to block access to the account.
The petition argued that the blocking action was arbitrary, disproportionate and passed without granting the petitioner a meaningful opportunity of hearing. It was further stated that the order has adversely affected the party’s political outreach and ability to communicate with the public through digital platforms.
The plea is expected to raise questions regarding the scope of the government’s powers under the Information Technology Act and the procedural safeguards required before restricting access to online content or social media accounts.
The Union government is likely to defend the blocking order by citing concerns linked to sovereignty, public order and national security. Details of the allegations that led to the blocking, however, have not been publicly disclosed so far.
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