Instagram has removed a video explainer posted by legal news portal LiveLaw about the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) affidavit before the Supreme Court, citing a legal request to restrict the content.
LiveLaw flagged the removal on its official X account on Tuesday, October 27, saying the five minute reel had explained the ECI’s version of events and questioning why it had been restricted.
“The reel, which was only an explanation of the ECI’s version, was removed by Instagram, saying, ‘We received a legal request to restrict this content,’” LiveLaw said.
The portal also questioned the absence of an explanation about which law the video had allegedly violated. The same explainer remains available on YouTube.
What Did the ECI Tell the Supreme Court?
The video explained the ECI’s affidavit in response to a petition concerning an investigation published by The Indian Express. The report alleged that 14 important decisions were taken despite disagreements between Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
According to LiveLaw’s explainer, the ECI denied that any decisions had been taken unilaterally. It argued that notes or suggestions recorded on official files did not necessarily amount to final decisions.
The affidavit also addressed allegations that Form 6, used by applicants seeking inclusion in electoral rolls, had been amended. The ECI maintained that the form had not been changed and that the declaration applicants were required to complete did not constitute an amendment.
The commission also argued that the petition relied solely on a media report and indicated that it could submit a more detailed response later.
Instagram’s removal notice, as shared by LiveLaw, did not identify the specific legal request or explain the grounds for restricting the reel. No further details about the request were provided in the material shared by the portal.
