The Congress party on Sunday alleged that Instagram has blocked a reel and a photo post featuring Rahul Gandhi and actor-politician Vijay, attributing the action to rules of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). Government sources, however, denied the charge.
Background of the Posts
Rahul Gandhi was in Chennai on Sunday to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Following the event, Gandhi shared several pictures and a reel on social media platforms, including Instagram.
Allegations by Congress
In a post on X, Srivatsa, an aide to Rahul Gandhi, claimed that Instagram had blocked the reel and pictures featuring Gandhi and Vijay. He stated that the viral reel had garnered 12 million views in less than an hour, while the picture post had reached 46 million people. Srivatsa further alleged, "Meta cites no reason as to why his account has become inaccessible. The 'glitch' is because of MEITY rules! Rahul's social media accounts have been suppressed for a long time. His X reach, YouTube views, and Insta followers have all been suppressed."
Government Response
Government sources refuted the allegations, denying any involvement in blocking the posts. They maintained that the claims were baseless and that no such directives were issued to Meta or Instagram regarding Rahul Gandhi's content.
Implications
The incident has reignited debates about social media censorship and the alleged suppression of political voices in India. The Congress party has repeatedly accused the government of targeting Rahul Gandhi's online presence, while the government denies any interference. As of now, Instagram has not issued an official statement on the matter.
