Delhi High Court Asks Centre and Meta to Reply on Plea Over Blocked Instagram Account

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and Meta to reply to a petition against the blocking of the Instagram handle 'Bring Back Ballot'. Justice Amit Mahajan issued the notice on October 27 on a plea filed by the account operator, organisation Mission Save Constitution, and its founder lawyer Mehmood Pracha. The court has listed the case for a hearing on November 6.

Background

The petition states that the handle advocated for a return to paper ballots in Indian elections using the slogan "EVM Hatao Desh Bachao" and helped organise a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The group had given prior notice for this protest to the Delhi Police on September 10, 2026. On October 10, the very day of the protest, the account became unavailable in India, showing a message that the platform complied with a legal request to restrict the content.

Legal Arguments

According to the plea, blocking the entire account, which had over 50,000 followers, was unfair, unreasoned, and done without any prior notice. The petition also noted that the Instagram notice did not mention any specific order, the authority behind it, or the exact content objected to, leaving the operators with no way to contest the decision. The organisation states that its work focuses on promoting constitutional values, democratic participation, and the integrity of elections.

Context

Legal disputes involving social media platforms, government orders, and digital content moderation often raise important questions about free speech and due process. Courts regularly examine whether content restrictions by authorities follow proper legal procedures and give affected parties a chance to respond.