Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook account, boasting over 8 million followers, was temporarily suspended on Friday, October 10, 2025, sparking a wave of political uproar and accusations of censorship. The account, a vital platform for Yadav to share his views, critique government policies, and connect with supporters, was reportedly suspended around 6 p.m.
The suspension immediately drew strong condemnation from SP leaders, who characterized it as an attack on democracy and an attempt to suppress opposition voices. SP leaders squarely blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the account suspension, alleging the ruling government was behind the effort to silence dissent. SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand posted on X, formerly Twitter, calling the suspension an "attack on democracy" and accusing the BJP government of imposing "an undeclared emergency" to suppress dissent. National Secretary Rajeev Rai also condemned the action, calling it a blow to India's democratic system. SP MLA Pooja Shukla criticized Facebook for suspending Yadav's account without warning, asserting that Facebook was attempting to stifle a voice representing millions.
However, sources within the government refuted the SP's allegations, stating that the decision to suspend the account was taken independently by Meta, Facebook's parent company, due to a "violent sexual post". Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also confirmed that the government had no role in the suspension, stating that Facebook took action according to its policies because of an abusive post.
Akhilesh Yadav questioned the suspension, stating that his posts had been wrongly flagged. Yadav claimed that his account was suspended due to posts concerning the death of a journalist and the suspicious death of a woman in Ballia. He further stated that his posts only raised questions about the pressure faced by journalists under the BJP government, and he questioned what was wrong with that. "I was told the objection was 'Adult sexual exploitation and violence'. When I got the report, I saw that the flagged posts were about the murder of a journalist and a woman from Ballia," he said. He added that the suspension would not deter him. "We will continue our work on the ground and enlighten people. That's where the real fight is," he said.
The Facebook account was restored on Saturday morning. Following the restoration, Yadav shared a post paying tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan on his birth anniversary.
The incident has ignited debates surrounding digital censorship, political bias, and the influence of social media platforms on political discourse in India. The BJP has criticized the SP for making political accusations without due consideration.
