Congress accuses Instagram of blocking Rahul Gandhi post, ministry says it was a glitch
The Congress party claimed that Instagram removed a reel and photo posted by Rahul Gandhi featuring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, alleging the platform acted under India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) rules. The party made the allegation on 12 May 2026, shortly after the post was taken down.
The incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over social media moderation in India, with the government having introduced strict content‑verification guidelines earlier this year. Critics argue that such rules could be used to suppress political dissent.
According to The Hindu, officials from MeitY clarified that the Ministry had no role in the blockage and that the removal resulted from Instagram’s internal system mistakenly flagging the content. The party, however, maintains that the takedown was politically motivated, while Instagram has not issued a detailed response.
Political analysts say the controversy could fuel further debate over the balance between regulation and free speech online, especially with the upcoming general elections. Media watchdogs are likely to monitor similar incidents for patterns of bias.
Watchers will be watching for any formal complaint filed by Congress with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as well as potential legal action against Instagram, which could set a precedent for how social platforms handle political content in India.