1.95 lakh blocking orders just the tip of the iceberg, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) accused the Narendra Modi government of launching a “brazen and calculated attack” on the democratic right of citizens to question and dissent, alleging that it had issued 1.95 lakh blocking orders to social media platforms in five months.

In a post on X, Mr. Kharge said most of the orders were directed at content posted by students and young residents who had taken to the streets seeking accountability over the alleged irregularities in examinations.

“Modi Government has launched its most brazen and calculated attack on the democratic right of every Indian to speak, to question and to dissent,” he said, comparing the alleged social media censorship to the apply of force against young protesters.

Mr. Kharge said the noted figure of 1.95 lakh blocking orders between March and July — roughly one every 68 seconds — was “only the tip of the iceberg”. He alleged that while students protesting over examination-related issues were subjected to police action, posts and videos supporting them were being removed from social media platforms on administration orders.

‘Online harassment’

He further alleged that journalists, content creators and ordinary citizens critical of the government faced takedown notices, FIR threats and intimidation. Meanwhile, he accused supporters of the ruling party of engaging in online harassment, including doxxing and rape threats, without facing comparable legal action.

“The Modi government slashed takedown time to three hours and automated censorship so completely that no human even reads the order before a voice is silenced,” Mr. Kharge alleged.

Mr. Kharge also drew a parallel between the alleged online censorship and the apply of force against protesters, saying that the silencing of dissent on digital platforms was as condemnable as the use of lathis and other coercive measures against young protesters.

The Congress president’s remarks came amid reports that the administration had sent blocking orders to social media companies at the rate of almost one a minute between March and July. More than half of the blocking orders were reportedly sent to Instagram. It had emerged as a key platform for the recent student protests over examination reforms.