Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that Meta restricted access to his Instagram account in India without providing any explanation, prompting him to publicly question the company and accuse it of “bowing down” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In posts on X on Thursday, Kejriwal said repeated emails and verbal enquiries with Meta’s India office failed to clarify why the restriction had been imposed or how it could be removed.
He shared a screenshot showing his account as “unavailable in some locations”, while claiming there had been no meaningful response from the company.
At the time of publication, Meta had not issued any public statement specifically addressing Kejriwal’s allegations.
The development comes just a day after Meta apologised to the Indian government for mistakenly restricting a Facebook post by Prime Minister Modi, an incident the company described as an operational error.
Kejriwal Questions Meta Over Alleged Restriction
The controversy unfolded after Kejriwal tagged Meta and Meta India on X, asking why his Instagram account had allegedly been restricted in India.
According to the former Delhi Chief Minister, officials at Meta’s India office verbally informed him that the account had been restricted, but did not explain the reason or suggest any process for reversing the decision.
He described the company’s lack of communication as “pretty bad service” and alleged political bias, writing that Meta should not “bow down to our Prime Minister so much”, adding that otherwise it would “be allowed to run only his own account in India”.
A screenshot posted by Kejriwal indicated that the account was “unavailable in some locations”, although reports noted that his Instagram profile remained visible to many users in India and there was no indication that his content had been removed or his account suspended entirely. Meta has not publicly responded to the claims.
Fresh Scrutiny of Meta Amid Government Engagement
Kejriwal’s allegations have emerged against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Meta’s operations in India.
On Wednesday, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan apologised to Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was mistakenly restricted for several hours.
Kaplan said he had apologised “on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post”, attributing the incident to an operational mistake.
The apology followed criticism from lawmakers and renewed discussions over the responsibilities of social media platforms in moderating political content.
While there is currently no evidence linking Kejriwal’s complaint to the earlier error involving the Prime Minister’s post, the timing has intensified public debate over transparency, content moderation practices and accountability of large technology platforms operating in India.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Social media platforms have become central to democratic conversation, making transparency and consistency in content moderation more important than ever.
Whether restrictions affect political leaders, public figures or ordinary citizens, platforms must clearly communicate the reasons behind their actions and provide accessible mechanisms for review or appeal.
Equally, allegations of censorship or political influence should be examined carefully and supported by verifiable evidence before conclusions are drawn.
Public trust depends on both technology companies and public institutions acting with openness, fairness and accountability. How can social media companies strengthen transparency while ensuring that content moderation remains fair, independent and trusted by people across the political spectrum?
Hi @Meta @metaindia
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 6, 2026
Why have you restricted my account? Verbal enquiries at your India office revealed that my account has been restricted in India and is unavailable in India. Why? Noone in your office is giving any reasons. Noone is suggesting how restrictions can be removed.… pic.twitter.com/4JThAqFMon
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