Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday claimed that his Instagram account has been blocked in India, alleging that social media platform Meta was restricting accounts of people raising questions over the Centre's ethanol policy and paper leak issues.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said Meta had failed to provide any clear explanation despite repeated attempts to seek clarification. He also urged users facing similar restrictions to contact him.

Kejriwal Alleges Government Pressure

Kejriwal alleged that the Central Government was pressuring Meta to block the accounts of individuals speaking against the ethanol blending policy and recent examination paper leak controversies.

He appealed to Meta not to succumb to what he described as government pressure and urged the company to operate independently.

The AAP leader also shared a screenshot from his Instagram account status page, which displayed the message "Unavailable in some locations."

Claims Meta Confirmed Restriction

According to Kejriwal, after approaching Meta's India office, he was informed that his Instagram account had been restricted and was currently unavailable for users in India.

He criticised the platform for not offering any detailed explanation regarding the action, describing the company's response as inadequate.

As of Thursday, Meta had not issued an official public statement regarding Kejriwal's claims or clarified the reason behind the reported restriction.

Users Report Similar Issues

Kejriwal said several social media users had informed him that their Instagram accounts had also become inaccessible.

He invited affected users to reach out so that the issue could be documented collectively, suggesting that the reported restrictions were not isolated incidents.

Row Comes Amid Meta-Government Dispute

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Meta in India following the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video related to examination reforms and paper leaks.

The video, posted on July 23, briefly became unavailable before being restored by Meta.

The incident prompted the government to seek an explanation from the company, with parliamentary leaders questioning the platform's content moderation practices.

Government Engages Meta

According to government sources cited by PTI, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the Indian government on Wednesday over the temporary removal of the Prime Minister's video.

The company also reportedly acknowledged concerns relating to content moderation, deepfake content and child sexual abuse material on its platforms during discussions with government officials.

The controversy has intensified the ongoing debate over the role of social media platforms, intermediary responsibilities and content regulation in India.

No Official Response Yet

While Kejriwal has publicly alleged that his account has been restricted in India, Meta has not officially confirmed whether any action has been taken against his Instagram profile or the reasons behind it.

The matter is expected to draw further political attention as debates over platform accountability, digital regulation and freedom of expression continue.