Instagram has restricted access to political cartoonist Satish Acharya’s account in India, citing legal requirements under the country’s information technology rules.
The restriction comes days after Acharya posted cartoons critical of the Election Commission amid a wider debate over the revision of electoral rolls.
A message displayed on his Instagram page says, “We temporarily restricted access to this account pursuant to legal requirements under India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.”
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has not issued a separate statement on the restriction.
Satish Acharya Says 2023 Cartoons Also Blocked
Reacting to the development, Acharya said some of his older cartoons were also being restricted in India.
“Darr ke aage jeet nahi hai, Saheb! Some cartoons published in 2023 are also being blocked NOW!” he wrote on X.
Acharya also shared a 2018 report quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising the work of late cartoonist R K Laxman.
“Cartoons have healing power, cartoonists closer to god, says PM Narendra Modi,” the headline of the report shared by Acharya said.
“Wah Modiji Wah! #BlockSarkar,” Acharya wrote in response.
The restrictions have drawn support from fellow cartoonists and the Kerala Cartoon Academy.
Cartoonist Manjul Also Reports Restriction
Political cartoonist Manjul said on September 27 that Instagram had restricted access in India to one of his cartoons concerning the Election Commission.
“The cartoon is still visible outside India,” Manjul said while sharing the cartoon on X.
According to Manjul, the restriction followed a notice from the government or law enforcement authorities. He said the cartoon was still accessible outside India.
The development comes amid a broader controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and questions raised about decisions taken by the Election Commission.
Kerala Cartoon Academy Demands Withdrawal
The Kerala Cartoon Academy has expressed solidarity with Acharya and Manjul and called for the restrictions to be withdrawn.
“Cartooning is an art form of criticism. The Kerala Cartoon Academy expresses concern over the growing trend of curbing criticism in the present times,” said academy chairman Sudhir Nath.
The academy said it was concerned about restrictions imposed on cartoons by several artists and stressed the importance of freedom of expression and democratic values.
It also recalled the long association between political cartooning and criticism in India, including the widely reported exchange between former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and cartoonist Shankar, in which Nehru is said to have encouraged the cartoonist by telling him, “Don’t spare me.”
“The cartoon academy is deeply concerned about the issue. The bans should be withdrawn immediately,” the academy said.
The academy said it stood in solidarity with both Acharya and Manjul.
As of Wednesday, Meta had not publicly provided details about the specific content or legal order that led to the restrictions on the two cartoonists’ content in India.
