Rajeev Nigam, Molitics, National Dastak Banned After Modi Govt's Orders

Comedian Rajeev Nigam, along with the Facebook pages of digital platforms Molitics, 4PM News, and National Dastak, have been banned in India. Meta disclosed in a notice that this action was taken based on directives from the Government of India and law enforcement agencies.According to the notice, the restriction has been imposed under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000. Under this provision, once notified by the government, internet intermediaries (such as social media platforms or internet service providers) are required to promptly remove or restrict access to unlawful content upon receiving actual knowledge or official notification. Failure to do so may result in the intermediary losing its legal protection.In a conversation with The Quint, comedian Rajeev Nigam and individuals associated with Molitics and 4PM News said that no reason has been provided for the banning of the Facebook pages in India. Meanwhile, 4PM News has approached the Delhi High Court in this matter, while Molitics plans to first raise the issue with Meta.The Quint spoke to comedian Rajeev Nigam. He said, “I have no idea why my Facebook page has been banned in India. I have not posted anything objectionable. I have also not been told which post led to my Facebook being banned.”“Only a notification came. Earlier too, there used to be notifications from Facebook—sometimes the reach would be reduced or the page would be banned for a few days and then restored. But this time it was different. It has come from the government’s IT Ministry. It cites Article 79(3)(b), under which the ban has been imposed.”Neeraj Jha, editor of Molitics, told The Quint, “We received a notification directly from Facebook. No reason was mentioned in the notification. It cited Section 79(3) of the IT Act, and the page has been banned in India. Access has been disabled.”He further said, “Normally, if there is an issue or problem with any content, you notify us. If we are correct, we can present our side. Being able to present our side is the most important thing. But here, no reason has been given at all. This is a blanket ban—if there’s a problem with the page, just shut it down.”'Account Not Available': Kashmiri News Portals Decry 'Censorship' Amid Iran WarRajeev Nigam shared details about a recent post he had put up on Facebook. He said, “As far as I remember, I had seen an AI-generated video on Twitter about a ‘missing cylinder.’ Before posting any video, we check for copyright issues. I posted that same video on my Facebook, after which I received a message from Facebook saying that this content would not be shown in India. After that, I deleted the video. Although there was nothing objectionable in it—it was a humorous, AI-generated video about a ‘missing cylinder.’”Meanwhile, Neeraj Jha said, “I cannot identify any post that might have caused them an issue. We understand journalism. We ask the questions that journalism allows us to ask—the questions that should be asked—and we have been consistently doing that.” “If you look at Molitics’ journalism, for several years we have been raising issues and topics that are in the public interest. We have been questioning the government, which should indeed be questioned. Perhaps that is what caused the problem.”Neeraj Jha, MoliticsSpeaking to The Quint, Sanjay Sharma said that first 4PM’s national YouTube channel was banned, then its reels were restricted, and after that, 4PM’s Facebook page was also banned in India.“We have filed a writ petition against this in the Delhi High Court, and we expect to get a hearing date in a few days.”On behalf of 4PM, advocate S.M. Haider Rizvi said, “A writ petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court, in which the petitioners (Sanjay Sharma and 4PM News channel) have challenged the blocking of their YouTube channel.”“The action was taken under Rule 16(2) of the IT Rules, 2021 and Section 69A (emergency powers) of the IT Act, 2000. The petitioners argue that blocking the channel without prior notice, without providing reasons, or without sharing a copy of the blocking order violates their fundamental rights and the principles of natural justice,” he added.“On 12 March 2026, the channel and several videos were blocked on the grounds of ‘national security/public order’ following government directions.”The petition also argues that blocking the entire channel is unconstitutional, as it imposes an excessive and disproportionate restriction on freedom of expression (Article 19(1)(a)). The petitioners have requested the court to quash the blocking order and restore the channel.Molitics may also approach the court in this matter. Neeraj Jha said that the organization will first write to Meta regarding the issue. He stated, “First, we will send a reply to Meta and wait for their response. If a resolution comes from there, that’s fine—although we consider that unlikely. If not, we will approach the Delhi High Court.”He further added, “This issue is not just about Molitics, National Dastak, or Rajeev Nigam. This is a problem affecting everyone.”Rajeev Nigam said, “I spoke to some people about the ban in India and learned about that section, but there hasn’t been any further communication yet. There have been bans earlier too, but those were from Facebook and would be lifted after a few days. This is the first time something like this has come from the government—a recommendation from the government.”On what he plans to do next, he said:“I’m a comedian and content creator, so I focus on that. I don’t really understand the technical aspects of what should be done. Apart from me, many others have received a similar message—it looks like a copy-paste. From this, it seems that Meta itself may not be able to do much.”This is not the first time action has been taken against Molitics. Neeraj Jha claims that about a year ago, their institution’s Instagram page faced a shadow ban. He also mentioned that a notice was issued regarding a video they made after Prime Minister Modi’s name appeared in the Epstein files.He said:“When Prime Minister Modi’s name first appeared in the Epstein files, we made a video on it. After that, we received a notice asking us to either remove the video or appear before a government committee. We appeared before the committee and asked the reason for the notice, but they did not provide any explanation. We then refused to remove the video, although we did change its thumbnail. Later, we noticed that our reach on YouTube had decreased.”Neeraj Jha added, “If you question the government, you get removed from jobs. We have all seen how TV channels have been emptied out. Now people have created their own space—if you don’t allow us to work in TV studios, we will build our own world. I think now there is an attempt to take away that space. Everyone will have to come together to protect it. This is not just about one institution or creator; it is an issue of freedom of expression.”This is not the first time news organisations and prominent individuals on social media are facing restrictions over criticism of the government. A number of journalists and accounts from Punjab faced similar bans during the crackdown against Amritpal Singh in 2023. A number of journalists and news organisations in Kashmir have also been facing similar restrictions. More recently, the X account of US-based journalist and author Azad Essa, who works for Middle East Eye was withheld in India. "I don't know why the Indian government ordered X to block my account in India. I can only guess that it is related to my reportage on India-Israel relations and Kashmir," Essa told TRT World. He is the author of Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel.He criticised the platform's handling of the matter."That X would just arbitrarily block or withhold accounts on their platform without even asking for a reason demonstrates how willing it is to suppress free speech and censor journalists," he said.

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Threatened by News & Satire? Behind Modi Govt's Latest Social Media Crackdown

Facebook pages of Comedian Rajeev Nigam, National Dastak, 4PM News and Molitics have been withheld in India.

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