India blocks social media accounts of news outlets Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, Muslim

India has blocked the social media accounts of at least three news portals – Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, and the United States-based Muslim – amid escalating geopolitical tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

The accounts were blocked in response to legal demands by the Indian government, said social media platforms X and Instagram.

The accounts of Maktoob Media and The Kashmiriyat have been blocked on X, while that of Muslim has been blocked on Instagram.

When the page for Muslim is sought to be accessed from India, Instagram displays the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

X also said that the accounts of Maktoob Media and The Kashmiriyat were withheld in India in response to legal demands.

Maktoob Media and The Kashmiriyat are among Indian platforms that have in recent years sought to provide Muslim perspectives on news in the context of the rising influence of Hindutva.

The news platform Muslim describes itself as “an independent media platform delivering Muslim news, stories and coverage to our Ummah [global Muslim community]” and has around 6.7 million followers on Instagram, AFP reported.

Aslah Kayyalakkath, the editor of Maktoob Media said the portal has “no knowledge of the reason for the government’s arbitrary action”.

“It is an assault on press freedom,” Kayyalakkath added in a statement on X. “Maktoob pledges to continue its crucial work at a time...

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