On the evening of April 16, the official arm of X (formerly Twitter), Global Government Affairs, shared an article detailing directives issued by the Election Commission of India following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming general elections. With the Indian general election scheduled from April 19 to June 1 and results slated for June 4, X’s article highlighted the Election Commission’s correspondence instructing the removal of objectionable posts by political leaders and parties. In response, certain leftist X users have begun criticizing the Modi government, alleging suppression of opposition voices and suggesting a trend toward authoritarianism, labeling it as a potential pathway to ‘Dictatorship.’
Leftist Youtuber Akash Banerjee wrote on X, ‘See the dark pattern here – notice the tweets that have been withheld – the party and the persons. We are heading down a dark path. THE ENTIRE WORLD is reading this tweet.’
See the dark pattern here – notice the tweets that have been withheld – the party and the persons.
— The DeshBhakt 🇮🇳 (@TheDeshBhakt) April 16, 2024
We are heading down a dark path….
THE ENTIRE WORLD is reading this tweet. https://t.co/YjXKYmRxT8
Rajya Sabha MP from TMC Sagarika Ghose wrote, ‘An utter shame for the “World’s largest democracy.” X X now says it will publicise all the take down orders sent to it by India’s ECISVEEP in the interests of public transparency. Why are mostly the tweets of Opposition parties being taken down? What about Sanghi trolls who hurl any and every abuse and slander at everyone?’
An utter shame for the "World's largest democracy." X @X now says it will publicise all the take down orders sent to it by India's @ECISVEEP in the interests of public transparency. Why are mostly the tweets of Opposition parties being taken down? What about Sanghi trolls who…
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) April 17, 2024
Journalist Mitali Mukherjee wrote, ‘Twitter directed by India’s Election Commission to take down objectionable tweets – all of which are by opposition party members/handles.’
Fact Check
Our investigation began with a thorough review of the article published on X’s Global Government Affairs handle. According to the article, “The Election Commission of India has issued takedown orders requiring X to act on posts containing political speech shared from elected politicians, political parties and candidates for office. In compliance with the orders, we have withheld these posts for the remainder of the election period; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts and political speech in general.”
Furthermore, the article further detailed a series of letters sent by the Election Commission of India, formally requesting Twitter’s adherence to the Model Code of Conduct following the announcement of election dates. The Commission specifically instructed the removal of posts from four political entities: Samrat Chaudhary, a BJP leader; Chandrababu Naidu, an ally of the NDA alliance; the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP); and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In conclusion, our analysis suggests that the Election Commission of India’s directive to X to remove posts from four political entities spans the political spectrum and is not aimed at curtailing the freedom of speech of opposition leaders. The Commission’s letters clearly outlined the requirement for adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the posts targeted for removal included two from the BJP and its coalition partners, as well as two from opposition parties.
| Claim | Election Commission asked X to remove only opposition leaders post |
| Claimed by | Sagarika Ghose, Akash Banerjee and Mitali Mukherjee |
| Fact Check | Misleading |
Also Read: TMC MP Saket Gokhale Falsely Accuses BJP of Omitting Housing Scheme from 2024 Manifesto
