After journalists covering the protests in New Delhi were detained and forcibly prevented from doing their work, social media posts documenting the police crackdown are now disappearing from platforms. Several videos accusing the police of using excessive force against protesters demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have been restricted by Meta. In some cases profiles have been blocked in India.
The protests, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and Leftist student outfits, have continued for over four days.
A video report published by Observer Post Hindi on October 11 was restricted on Facebook. The notice stated that the content had been restricted by an “automated system” for allegedly failing to comply with India's IT Rules.
The video is accessible on X at the time of this article being written. The report shows female protesters being brutally attacked by members allegedly affiliated with the Hindu Raksha Dal. “They are openly threatening protesters, using violent language, and harassing women. However, no police action has been taken against them. On the other hand, peaceful protesters as well as journalists are being rounded up into police vans,” journalist Pateshwari Singh, who appears in the report, says.
Similarly, an Instagram reel posted by Mathrubhumi English on October 11, showing a female protester clinging to a pole as police personnel attempted to detain her, was restricted on the platform. The reel garnered over 10 million views before it was taken down.
The notice stated that the content had been restricted pursuant to “a notice from the Government of India/Law Enforcement.” The outlet shared a post on the restriction, questioning the applicability of Section 79 (3)(b) of the IT Act.
The video, we found, iss still available on X.
A tense moment at the CJP protest in Delhi: a young woman clings to a pole to resist detention as three women police officers try to pull her away.
Independent Journalists Face Ban
Shubhangi Das Gupta, a 22-year-old student, recently ventured into the world of independent journalism.
On October 12, her Instagram handle, (@shubhangi_decodes) was temporarily restricted in India for allegedly violating local IT Rules. The account has more than 38,000 followers.
We reached out to Shubhangi, who told us this was the first protest she had witnessed and documented from such close quarters. "I have no clue as to why my account was restricted from viewers in India. When I initially came to know, I felt dismayed. I couldn't believe that my work could be stifled so arbitrarily. By the next morning, all I could feel was was anger," she said.
While talking to us, Shubhangi informed Alt News of another notice she had received from Instagram on October 13 -- this time, addressed to her backup account, (@shubhangi_dg_). The notice says that Shubhangi was restricted from sending messages for a month, for violating META's community standards on "prohibited commercial practices."
While no further explanation was available, Shubhangi says this might be the result of her putting out a payment link seeking contributions from her followers for covering the the protest and the police excesses.
Similarly, a reel uploaded by independent journalist Muskan Agrawal from her handle @muskan_informs was restricted on Instagram. The caption of the reel read: "Protesters detained in CP | 11 October 7 PM."
The video in question can be accessed on X. Muskan can be seen reporting live from Connaught Place on the evening of October 11. She informs that those being detained by Delhi Police broke a glass window of the van they had been kept in, even as the number of police personnel at the site kept increasing.
Several other videos uploaded by Muskan on the evening of October 11 demonstrate that female protesters detained forcefully and alleging that they had been manhandled in the process.
Profile Takedowns
The Instagram page of news outlet Journo Mirror (@journomirror) was restricted by Meta in India on October 13, the outlet stated in a post on X.
In a statement released by its editorial team on October 13, the outlet wrote that the suspension was part of a larger effort to stifle independent journalism and freedom of expression.
We spoke to Journo Mirror’s co-founder and editor Mohammad Ali, who told us that he had received no mail or notification from Meta informing the reason for the suspension. "Around 10:30 pm on October 12, an acquaintance told me the page was not accessible on Instagram. While we can't be sure, our recent coverage of the protest can be a reason behind the ban," he said.
We also learnt that previously, three posts published by Journo Mirror had been restricted in India by the platform. All three showed ground reports from the protest. One of them showed a detained protester alleging that the police had acted on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
We accessed the profile by using VPN services, and found an extensive coverage of the protest in New Delhi, including protesters' testimonies from the ground, as well as videos that showed the police using violent means to detain them.
In the same vein, on October 10, the Instagram handle of Molitics India (@moliticsindia) was also restricted. At the time of this article being written, it remains suspended in India.
In a video statement, director and editor-in-chief of Molitics India, Neeraj Jha, stated, "This is our punishment — for bringing the news to you, for reporting, for showing the ground reality."
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