"Restore Or Face Action": Hindu Group After Meta Drops Video With Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has accused Meta of anti-Hindu actions over the removal of its video featuring Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inviting people to attend the World Hindu Congress 2026 in Mumbai. The VHP has asked Meta to either restore the video and issue a public apology or face legal action.On October 26, the World Hindu Congress shared a reel (short video) inviting people to the World Hindu Congress 2026, which is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from December 18 to 20, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The video was "restricted from being viewed" in India by Meta on Facebook and Instagram within hours.The notice from Meta said, "Your video is unavailable in India", citing legal requirements under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.Explaining how the decision was made, Meta said: "We received a legal request to restrict this content. We reviewed it against our policies and conducted a legal and human rights assessment. After the review, we restricted access to the content in the location where it goes against local law."@Meta has restricted access in Bharat to the World Hindu Congress 2026 Reel featuring Maharashtra Chief Minister @Dev_Fadnavis simply inviting people to attend the event. Meta says the restriction follows a legal request and was imposed under Bharat's IT Rules. It also says the content was reviewed against its policies and subjected to a legal and human rights assessment. But which specific legal provision did the Reel violate, and what is the basis for restricting it in Bharat? The Reel features the Chief Minister's message about the upcoming event. Greater transparency is needed on the legal grounds for this restriction. @instagram @Meta @Dev_Fadnavis @CMOMaharashtra @MumbaiPolice @GoI_MeitY For reference the same video is available on X- https://t.co/4NlR5HUVNs— World Hindu Congress (@WHCongress) October 28, 2026The organisation reposted the video on the night of October 26, but it was removed again the next day.The World Hindu Congress has written to Meta, asking it to elaborate on which specific legal provision the reel violated, and what the basis was for restricting it in India."The WHC has called for transparency and a clear response from Meta on the action taken against the video, for the restricted content to be reinstated, and for assurance that such removals will not happen again," the WHC's press release read.VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal threatened Meta with legal action if it does not "desist from these anti-Hindu actions". "On what offence or violation of law was this action taken? Meta must immediately restore the video and issue a public apology," Bansal wrote in a post on X.विश्व हिंदू कांग्रेस ने 26 अक्टूबर को अपने सभी सोशल मीडिया हैंडल्स पर महाराष्ट्र के निर्वाचित यशस्वी मुख्यमंत्री श्री @Dev_Fadnavis का वीडियो पोस्ट किया, जिसमें उन्होंने @WHCongress में विश्वभर से आने वाले मेहमानों का स्वागत किया। दुर्भाग्य से कुछ ही घंटों में उसे मेटा द्वारा फेसबुक इंस्टाग्राम से ब्लॉक कर दिया गया। 27 अक्टूबर को दोबारा पोस्ट करने पर भी उसे फिर से हटा दिया गया। आखिर किस अपराध या कानून के उल्लंघन के आधार पर यह कार्रवाई की गई? मेटा तत्काल वीडियो बहाल करे और सार्वजनिक रूप से माफी मांगे। हम केंद्रीय इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स एवं सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्रालय तथा संबंधित मंत्री जी @MIB_India @GoI_MeitY से भी आग्रह करते हैं कि वे अविलंब हस्तक्षेप कर मामले में कार्यवाही कर मेटा के इस एक तरफा, मनमाने फैसले और इस दुस्साहस के प्रति आगाह करें। यदि @Meta अपनी इन हिंदू द्रोही हरकतों से बाज नहीं आता तो वर्ल्ड हिंदू कांग्रेस कानूनी कार्रवाई के लिए विवश होगा जिसने इसकी शिकायत आज केंद्र सरकार व @MumbaiPolice एवं @DelhiPolice को भी भेज दी है। भारत में इसकी यह मनमानी नहीं चलेगी। जवाबदेही तय होनी चाहिए। @facebook @instagram— विनोद बंसल Vinod Bansal বিনোদ বনসল వినోద్ బన్సాల్ (@vinod_bansal) October 28, 2026He urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the concerned minister to "intervene without delay, take action and warn Meta" against what he termed a "unilateral, arbitrary decision and its audacity".He added that the organisation has lodged a complaint with the central government, Mumbai Police and the Delhi Police."This high-handedness will not be tolerated in India. Accountability must be fixed," he said.NDTV reached out to MeitY and Meta for comment but did not receive a response immediately.The WHC is a global conference that brings together Hindu leaders, thinkers, activists, and organizations from across the world. It is held every four years; the previous edition took place in Bangkok in 2023.The conference will feature sessions on seven key themes: economy, education, media, politics, women, youth, and Hindu organisations. Approximately 4,000 registered delegates from around the globe are expected to participate. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Madhya Pradesh's Mohan Yadav are among several dignitaries set to attend the event.