'Won't make questions disappear': Dipke accuses Centre of Instagram crackdown

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke

NEW DELHI : Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday criticised the Centre over an alleged crackdown on anti-government posts and accounts on Instagram.

He warned that silencing citizens by taking down content would not address the public grievances.On Wednsday, in a post on X, Dipke wrote, “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,” Dipke wrote, warning that the alleged censorship could further erode trust among the very people the government is supposed to answer to.His remarks come amid wider scrutiny of online content restrictions and freedom of expression. Activists and political groups have raised concerns over account suspensions and takedown directives, including those reportedly issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.According to PTI, social media platforms including Meta and X have been asked by the Centre to restrict posts and handles raising questions on youth unemployment, governance, and public infrastructure.

Critics argue that restricting online content does not address underlying concerns over unemployment, examination paper leaks, governance and public infrastructure.The issue has also reached the courts. On October 27, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Centre and the concerned department on a petition challenging the withholding of the Instagram handle @bring_back__ballot in India.The account is associated with the “Bring Back Ballot” initiative of Mission Save Constitution and advocate Mehmood Pracha, its national convenor.The petition stated that the handle was withheld on October 10, the day organisers held a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It displayed the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

The petitioners alleged, “No notice, hearing, reasons or copy of any order was ever furnished to the Petitioners.”The initiative advocated a return to paper ballots under the slogan “EVM Hatao Desh Bachao”.

The petition said organisers had informed Delhi Police about the protest on October 9.Justice Amit Mahajan issued notice and sought the Centre’s response. Central Government Standing Counsel Ashish Dixit accepted notice on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the designated officer. Advocate Amee Rana accepted notice for Meta Platforms.The matter is listed for hearing on November 6, when the court is expected to consider the petition further.