Akhilesh Yadav's Facebook account restored; MeitY says no role in 'suspension'
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav's official Facebook account, which was allegedly suspended earlier, has been restored, party sources said on Saturday.
Sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) told PTI that Yadav's account was blocked by Facebook, and not by the government.
Yadav took to his account and shared a quote by Jayaprakash Narayan on Saturday morning, to commemorate the socialist leader's birth anniversary.
"By 'Sampoorn Kraanti' (complete revolution), I mean seeing the most oppressed person in society at the pinnacle of power," the post read.
While SP spokesperson Deepak Ranjan confirmed the suspension and subsequent restoration of the social media page, the party's chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI, "I am not yet aware if it has been restored, but the main issue is who was behind this suspension? The act was a clear attempt to block democratic opinion and truth."
SP leaders earlier accused the BJP government of imposing an "undeclared emergency to suppress every opposing voice", following the alleged suspension of the account with more than 8 million followers.
The sources said it was suspended on Friday, at around 6 pm.
The page is regularly used by the SP chief to share his views, highlight the government's "shortcomings", and connect with supporters.
Reacting to the suspension of the account, SP Lok Sabha MP from Ghosi, Rajeev Rai had said in a post on X in Hindi, "Facebook's blocking of the account of the leader of the third-largest party in India's Parliament, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, honourable @yadavakhilesh, is not only condemnable but also an attack on India's democratic system. If this happened at the behest of the ruling party, it is a sign of cowardice."
He had also warned that attempting to suppress socialists' voice is a "mistake".
SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand, in a post on X, had alleged that an undeclared emergency had been imposed by the BJP government.
"But the Samajwadi Party will continue to oppose the BJP's anti-people policies," he said.
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Regret participating in 'movement' that vilified ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan has expressed regret over his past role in political movements that, he said, contributed to the vilification of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bhushan made the remarks in a post on social media on the first death anniversary of Manmohan Singh.
In his post, Bhushan described Manmohan Singh as “a humble, decent, well educated and well meaning man,” adding that the former prime minister’s humility and decency were “seen as a weakness.” He said he regretted having participated in a movement that helped discredit Singh and, in his words, “helped a rogue regime come to power.”
Bhushan’s statement is widely seen as a reference to the anti-corruption movement that gained momentum during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. The movement, led by civil society activists, had targeted corruption allegations against the government and eventually reshaped India’s political landscape. Critics have since argued that the campaign contributed to undermining Singh’s leadership and paved the way for a change in government at the Centre.
Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his low-profile style, technocratic approach and role in shaping India’s economic reforms.
He was a humble, decent, well educated & well meaning man. His humility & decency was seen as a weakness.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 26, 2025
I regret having participated in a movement that vilified him & helped a rogue regime come to power pic.twitter.com/6JWOrdCZdE
