Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, demanding an investigation into the alleged misuse of Instagram’s reporting and grievance mechanisms to restrict lawful political criticism of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu.
In her letter, Kanimozhi wrote that Instagram accounts and posts criticising the C.Joseph Vijay-led government are being repeatedly “restricted, taken down and subjected to reduced visibility”.
She questioned if police machinery and other state resources are being misused to impose restrictions on accounts or content expressing lawful political criticism.
Complaints raised through grievance mechanisms were not taken seriously, and state police refused to register FIRs in many cases, she claimed.
I have written to the Hon'ble Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Thiru. @AshwiniVaishnaw , seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of reporting and grievance mechanisms to restrict lawful political expression on Instagram.
Accounts and posts… pic.twitter.com/JvTO4RHO6z
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) October 12, 2026
The issue was flagged days ago by DMK’s IT wing secretary T.R.B. Rajaa, who said that multiple accounts were being subjected to restriction or limited reach on making posts critical of the TVK government. Calling it abuse of power, the leader wrote on X, “We have been receiving reports of Instagram accounts and posts critical of the TVK Government being repeatedly restricted or taken down. This is being viewed very seriously by DMK legal wing and they have promised serious scrutiny. If police machinery, official complaints or State resources are being used to suppress lawful political criticism, that is not policing.”
We have been recieving reports of @instagram accounts and posts critical of the #Tvk Government being repeatedly restricted or taken down. This is being viewed very seriously by @DMKLegalWing and they have promised serious scrutiny.
If police machinery, official complaints or… https://t.co/MXq7MCxU62 pic.twitter.com/rxZ1VdxddY
— Dr. T R B Rajaa (@TRBRajaa) October 6, 2026
Several X users also pointed out that news articles on SIR deletions and TVK’s electoral performance had been restricted in India.
Highlighting these issues in her letter, Kanimozhi referred to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021—which provide for grievance redressal mechanisms—and stressed that these must not be weaponised to silence dissent.
She also recalled that the DMK had previously filed a Writ Petition in the Madras High Court against digital intermediaries for allegedly allowing the spread of fake news by TVK and its supporters. While that petition is pending, she claimed the platforms had instead begun removing genuine criticism of the TVK government, displaying “inherent bias”.
Kanimozhi urged the ministry and cyber authorities to examine whether state police and other state resources were being misused to target lawful political speech. She also urged the ministry to seek information from Meta. “The ministry should ensure that intermediary enforcement remains politically neutral and is carried out in accordance with the principles of transparency, proportionality and due process,” she added.
“Democracy depends not only upon the right to speak in support of those in power, but equally upon the right to question, criticise and disagree with them,” she further wrote, adding that no government or political party should fear legitimate criticism, and that no citizen should have to fear losing their digital voice merely because they have criticised those in power.
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