Dipke, speaking from Mumbai, slammed the government for wiping out anti‑government sentiment on Instagram, saying the Centre is deleting thousands of posts and accounts daily. He added that such censorship does little to address the root causes of dissent.
The founder posted, "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." He warned that this would only deepen public distrust.
CJP co‑convener Ashutosh Ranka echoed the claim, noting a massive crackdown after a Live Law reel about the Election Commission’s affidavit was removed. Ranka posted, "Massive crackdown ongoing," while reacting to the Live Law story.
The takedowns fall under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows the government to block content deemed harmful. Delhi High Court issued a notice on October 27, challenging the blocking of @bring_back__ballot, a handle run by Mission Save Constitution, after it was deleted on October 10 ahead of a protest at Jantar Mantar.
Justice Amit Mahajan has asked the Centre to respond to the petition, and the court has scheduled a hearing for November 6. The upcoming session will decide whether the takedowns comply with constitutional safeguards around freedom of expression.
The next hearing will be a litmus test for the government’s social‑media policy; the court’s ruling could either reinforce the current takedown framework or compel a review of Section 69A’s application. The outcome will shape how anti‑government voices can navigate India’s digital public square.