‘That’s pretty sad service’: Arvind Kejriwal alleges Meta restricted his Instagram account amid PM Modi video row

August 6, 2026

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that Meta had restricted his social media account in India without providing any explanation. The claim comes at a time when the social media giant is facing increased scrutiny from the Centre over the temporary restriction of a Facebook video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hi @Meta @metaindia

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

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 6, 2026

In a post on X, Kejriwal questioned Meta’s action and said he had not received any reason for the restriction despite repeatedly contacting the company’s India office. He claimed the lack of communication from the platform was unacceptable and raised concerns over the transparency of content moderation decisions.

Kejriwal questions Meta over account restriction

Kejriwal said his account was suddenly restricted for users in India and alleged that Meta failed to explain why the action was taken. He stated that his team had attempted to reach Meta India’s officials several times but had not received any response.

The AAP leader also suggested that the action appeared unusual, especially amid the ongoing controversy involving the platform’s handling of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s content. However, Meta had not publicly responded to Kejriwal’s allegations at the time of publishing.

Meta under Centre’s scrutiny

The latest development comes days after the Centre sought explanations from Meta over the temporary restriction of a Facebook video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meta described the removal of the Prime Minister’s video as an “operational error” and restored the content. The company apologised to the Government of India, with Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan conveying regret to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the incident.

Government raises wider concerns

The controversy has expanded beyond the PM Modi video. The Centre recently held discussions with senior Meta executives over several issues, including the handling of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content, WhatsApp usernames and the treatment of verified and prominent accounts on the company’s platforms.

Government officials have warned that social media platforms are expected to maintain transparency and comply with Indian laws while handling content moderation and user accounts.

No official response on Kejriwal’s allegation

As of Thursday, Meta had not issued any official statement specifically addressing Kejriwal’s claim that his account had been restricted. The incident has added another dimension to the ongoing debate over content moderation, platform accountability and the relationship between global technology companies and Indian regulators.