CJP Activist Abhijeet Dipke Slams Government Censorship on Instagram

Abhijeet Dipke criticises the government's Instagram crackdown, arguing that censoring social media fails to address real-world grievances and undermines public trust while the Delhi High Court examines the withholding of activist accounts.

CJP Activist Criticises Government Censorship

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday criticised the government's censorship measures and the takedown of social media accounts, saying that silencing citizens on platforms like Instagram will not change ground realities and will only deepen public distrust. In a post on X, Dipke warned, "The Instagram crackdown is not going to work! The government is taking down thousands of posts and accounts every day, but it seems to be missing a fundamental point. Instagram is just a platform where people are raising their questions. The reasons behind those questions exist far beyond social media, and taking down accounts won't make them disappear. If anything, this censorship risks creating even more distrust among the very people the government is supposed to answer to." The Instagram crackdown is not going to work! The government is taking down thousands of posts and accounts every day, but it seems to be missing a fundamental point. Instagram is just a platform where people are raising their questions. The reasons behind those questions exist far beyond social media, and taking down accounts won't make them disappear. If anything, this censorship risks creating even more distrust among the very people the government is supposed to answer to. — Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 28, 2026

Legal Scrutiny of Digital Takedowns

The remarks come amid broader scrutiny regarding content moderation policies, digital takedown directives, and freedom of expression across social media networks. Activists and political outfits have recently faced repeated suspensions under directives like Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act. Platforms including Meta and X have been asked to restrict posts and handles raising questions on youth unemployment, governance, and public infrastructure. Activists argue that digital platforms serve merely as mediums reflecting real-world public grievances. Suppressing social media activity fails to tackle core socioeconomic issues such as paper leaks, job creation, or institutional transparency.

Delhi High Court Intervention

Earlier on October 27, The Delhi High Court issued notice to Central Government in a plea challenging the withholding of the Instagram handle @bring_back__ballot in India. The “Bring Back Ballot” initiative is of Petitioners Mission Save Constitution and advocate Mehmood Pracha, the National Convenor. It is said that the handle was withheld on October 10, before a protest at Jantar Mantar. Justice Amit Mahajan issued notice to the Central Government and the concerned department and sought a response to the petition. The matter has been listed for hearing on November 6. Advocate Amee Rana appeared for Meta Platform and accepted notice. Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Ashish Dixit appeared for the Central Government and accepted notice on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and its designated officer.

A petition has been moved through Advocate Nikhil Guliani against the withholding. Advocate Sanawar Chaudhary appeared for the petitioner and submitted that on October 10, 2026, the very day of the Petitioners’ peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, the handle began displaying the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.” "No notice, hearing, reasons or copy of any order was ever furnished to the Petitioners." The petition has stated that the handle advocated a return to paper ballots in Indian elections under the slogan “EVM Hatao Desh Bachao”, and mobilised citizens for the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on October 10, 2026, of which prior intimation had been given to the Delhi Police on October 9, 2026. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)