Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s Facebook account has been restored after it was suspended on Friday evening that sparked a sharp political reaction from his party.
The Samajwadi Party had earlier accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led government of being behind the move. However, the government dismissed the allegation, saying Meta, Facebook’s parent company, took the action and that it had no role in it.
His page was suspended for allegedly posting a “violent sexual post”, the sources said.
However, on Saturday, a Meta spokesperson told HT said it has restored the page.
“We restored the page once the issue was brought to our notice,” the Meta spokesperson said.
According to news agency PTI, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s Facebook account, followed by over eight million users, was suspended around 6pm.
Akhilesh Yadav’s page was frequently used to share his opinions, highlight what he called the government’s shortcomings, and connect with supporters across the state.
Reacting strongly, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand wrote on ‘X’, “Suspending the Facebook account of respected Akhilesh Yadav ji, the national president of the country’s third-largest party, is an attack on democracy. The BJP government has imposed an undeclared emergency, where every opposing voice is being suppressed. But the Samajwadi Party will continue to oppose the BJP’s anti-people policies.”
National secretary of the Samajwadi Party Rajeev Rai also condemned this act, saying it’s a blow to India’s democratic system.
“Blocking the account of the leader of the third largest party in the country’s parliament, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Honorable Shri @yadavakhilesh ji, by FACEBOOK is not only condemnable but also a blow to India’s democratic system,” Rai’s X post read.
Rai also said if the BJP has done this, then it’s a “mistake”.
“If this has been done at the behest of the ruling party, it is a sign of cowardice. Trying to suppress the voice of socialists is a mistake. @facebook @samajwadiparty,” Rai added.
SP MLA Pooja Shukla called out Facebook for suspending Akhilesh’s account without any warning or notice.
“Facebook has dared to cross its limits — it has suspended the official page of Akhilesh Yadav ji (@yadavakhilesh) without any warning or notice. This is not an ordinary account — this is Akhilesh Yadav ji , the voice of millions! Facebook must remember its boundaries — it cannot silence democracy. Samajwadis, it’s time to bring Facebook to its senses! Such arrogance will not be tolerated,” Shukla said.
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