The Congress and digital watchdog Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) have questioned the blocking of several social media handles that criticise or satirise the Narendra Modi government.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Congress social media head Supriya Shrinate said the action reflected an attempt to curb dissent at a time when the government was facing questions on multiple fronts, including economic, diplomatic and political issues.
She alleged that restricting access to digital platforms showed “fear and failure”, adding that many of the blocked accounts were independent voices that held the government accountable and were not aligned with the Congress.
Blocked handles include parody accounts @DrNimoYadav, @Nehr_who, @indian_armada, and satirical handles like @mrjethwani_ and @Doc_RGM. Commentator and activist Sandeep Singh’s account was also withheld.
The Caravan’s editor Hartosh Singh Bal said on X that a post made in March sharing a 2002 cover of India Today magazine had been blocked. The post carried a 2002 cover showing then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in an RSS cap with the headline “Hero of Hatred”.
The blocking comes amid wider curbs on online content following the Iran war and questions over India’s role. Reports on Wednesday said the Centre was considering allowing the defence, external affairs and home ministries to issue takedown orders, a power currently exercised by the ministry of electronics and IT under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
IFF said users were receiving generic “withheld in India” notices with little explanation and warned that such takedowns appeared to target political and satirical speech rather than clearly unlawful content. It also urged the government to follow the Shreya Singhal judgment, publish blocking orders transparently, and ensure affected users receive clear reasons and avenues for remedy properly.