The Instagram account of The Savala Vada, a meme page known for its critical take on the Indian government, has been withheld in India.

The action was carried out following a “legal request” as per Instagram’s notice.

On June 20, users attempting to access the page were met with the message: “Account withheld in India. This is because we complied with the legal request to restrict this content.”

The creators posted from a backup account shortly after.

“The Republic of India has finally vanquished Public Enemy #1: a meme page run out of a hostel dorm. Citizens of Bharat can rest assured that a government so petty to go after Instagram pages surely has the best interests of the nation at heart.”

Indian journalist and Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub, who is often vocal on issues of censorship and dissent, condemned the ban.

“A highly popular Instagram page known for its satire, The Savala Vada, has been withheld in India. So much for a democracy,” she posted on X.

Ayyub has herself faced online restrictions and legal action. Earlier this year, an FIR was filed against her over alleged “derogatory” posts from 2016–17, with Delhi Police seeking details from X.

In March 2022, Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Ayyub, who is also an independent investigative journalist, via email, 14 minutes before her flight from Mumbai to London.

The account, run by a 22-year-old creator from Kerala and a small team of university students, had amassed around 85,000 followers before the ban. The page has built a loyal audience since its launch in July 2023.

The team confirmed the takedown on X and wrote: “Sup we just got banned from the world’s largest democracy,” with the hashtags #MotherOfDemocracy, #NotSatire and #SavalaVadaFried.

“If the government can find time to tell a social media company to take down a meme page, it surely has its priorities in order,” the team said.

“Chotta Bheem fans worldwide reel from the recent shock as The Savala Vada finds that the digital ecosystem is just as sacrosanct as the physical lands where the caste system operates,” they added.

Referring to a range of national crises, from civil unrest and human rights abuses to flooding in Assam and economic distress, they wrote:

“As India reels from issues concerning the foundations of its Constitution... the Republic of India strongly asserts its priorities by politely asking Meta to take down a satire news page on Instagram.”

They issued what they called a “simple edict to The Government”:

“Tell us which joke you didn’t like. The least we should have is knowing which one of our comedic forays struck a nerve at the Ministry of Unfunny.”

In another jibe, they wrote:

“Tell us when was the last time you laughed? (No, Anti-Muslim riots do not count),” and added, “Do you have a job posting in your beloved parents’ organisation of the Short Khaki Pants brigade?”—a reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Founded by a media student known as ‘J”, the account was inspired by The Onion, an American satirical news site.

Their meme formats often mimicked newspaper layouts, with punchy headlines and imagery targeting controversial policies, caste violence, and the political climate under the Narendra Modi government.

One of their most circulated posts followed the inauguration of the Ram Mandir:

“Remains of Indian Constitution Beneath Ram Mandir: ASI Survey.”

The creator had told Al Jazeera in an interview that the account was partly born out of frustration with “the erasure of critical thinking and satire in the country’s public discourse.”

Digital crackdowns in the “Mother of Democracy”

India has frequently come under scrutiny for its increasing use of legal takedown requests against journalists, activists, and satirical platforms online. Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta, often act on these requests without revealing the specific content or law cited for the restriction.

Earlier this year, comedian Kunal Kamra faced fresh legal scrutiny for a satirical controversy that erupted after a video from Kamra's show titled Naya Bharat went viral. In the performance, Kamra had addressed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde's decision to switch political alliances, referring to him as a 'traitor' without naming him.

In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders, India ranked 151st with a total score of 32.96 in the World Press Freedom Index in 2025, moving up 8 places from 159th last year.

India has been sliding in the index over the past years, falling from 140 in 2019 to 142 in 2020 and 2021, and further down to 150 in 2022 and 161 in 2023.