Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook Account Suspended, Claims Party, Hits Out At BJP

The Samajwadi Party has launched an attack on the BJP after party chief Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook page remained inaccessible, calling it an attempt to suppress opposition voices.

Yadav's account on the social media site could not be accessed for hours on Friday evening, prompting the Samajwadi Party (SP) to allege that it had been suspended at the behest of the BJP. The party also pointed out that, with 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha, it is the third-largest in the country, behind the BJP and the Congress.

Attempts to access the account threw up either an error reading the content isn't available because 'the owner only shared it with a small group of people or changed who can see it, or it's been deleted', or stating that the page was not found and that there could be a technical error. 

Hitting out at the BJP, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand wrote in Hindi on X, "The suspension of the Facebook account of the national president of the country's third-largest party, Akhilesh Yadav, is an attack on democracy. The BJP government has imposed an undeclared emergency in the country, where it wants to suppress every voice raised in opposition. However, the Samajwadi Party will continue to oppose the anti-people policies of the BJP."

Speaking to NDTV, Chaand also said the BJP does not believe in democracy and is trying to weaken it.

"We are looking at taking the legal route. We will not be deterred and will keep raising people's issues," he said. 

Taking a similar line, party MP Rajeev Rai said suppressing voices is a mistake.

"Blocking the account of the leader of the third largest party in the country's parliament, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Honourable Shri @yadavakhilesh ji, by Facebook is not only condemnable but also a blow to India's democratic system. If this has been done at the behest of the ruling party, it is a sign of cowardice. Trying to suppress the voice of socialists is a mistake," he wrote. 

The allegations come ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, which are being seen as a key test for the BJP, which is in power in the state in an alliance with Nitish Kumar's JDU and other NDA partners. 

The SP had earlier echoed INDIA allies, including the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to ensure the 'theft' of votes. The charge was also made by Yadav himself. 

Both the Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations, terming them baseless.