Samajwadi Party Claims Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook Account Suspended
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has claimed that the official Facebook account of its president, Akhilesh Yadav, has been suspended. The party condemned the move, which affects a page with over 8 million followers, as an "attack on democracy" and an attempt by the BJP government to suppress opposition voices. The account was a primary platform for the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to communicate with supporters and critique government policies. Meta, Facebook's parent company, has not yet issued a statement.
Unpacked:
As of now, Facebook (Meta) has not issued any official statement or explanation for the suspension of Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook account, and the reason remains undisclosed according to reports.
The suspension lasted for approximately 16 hours before the account was restored, with the page going offline on the evening of October 9 and returning by the following day.
The Samajwadi Party has alleged that the suspension was an attempt by the BJP government to suppress opposition voices and described it as an attack on democracy.
Yes, there have been previous instances where social media accounts of Indian politicians—both opposition and ruling party members—were suspended or restricted, often leading to political controversy and debates over free speech and platform accountability.