Millat Times English has reported that a Facebook post featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Supreme Court of India has become inaccessible in India, raising concerns over restrictions on news content and press freedom.
The post, published on October 13, carried the headline, “Supreme Court stays Rahul Gandhi’s defamation trial over remarks against PM Modi.” It featured photographs of Rahul Gandhi and the Supreme Court building and reported the court’s decision to stay trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case against the Congress leader.
A message displayed by Meta informed Millat Times English that the photo was unavailable in India. The notification stated, “Your photo is unavailable in India,” explaining that access to the content had been restricted through an automated system implemented pursuant to India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.
However, the notification did not identify the authority or request responsible for the restriction, leaving the specific reason for the action unclear.
The founder and chief editor of Millat Times, Shams Tabrez Qasmi, questioned the restriction, noting that the post had no connection with the ongoing protests and featured only Rahul Gandhi and the Supreme Court of India.
“Any news critical of the government or related to an opposition party appears to face restrictions in India. On several occasions, Meta has also deleted such content. Does this mean there is no longer any space or freedom for journalism in India?” he asked.
He expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of restrictions on news concerning the government and opposition parties, questioning whether media organisations could continue reporting freely and reaching audiences through social media platforms.
The incident comes amid another reported restriction involving a news organisation. The Observer Post reported that its Hindi report on the alleged assault of women protesters at Jantar Mantar had also been blocked in India. The two incidents have raised further questions about transparency in content moderation and the accessibility of news reporting on social media.
Social media platforms have become important channels for news distribution, particularly for independent digital media organisations. Restrictions on published content can limit its reach and prevent audiences from accessing reports.
It remains unclear whether the restriction on the Millat Times English post followed a specific government or law-enforcement request or resulted from another process.
The incident has renewed concerns about transparency in content restrictions and the implications of such actions for independent journalism and press freedom in India.
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