Kerala govt faces flak as Meta blocks Baburaj Bhagavathy known for criticising Left's Muslim bias
Activist co-authored Islamophobia Padanangal, 2024 Kerala Islamophobia Report
Meta acted on police request
Thiruvananthapuram: Facebook has restricted access to the account of Kerala-based journalist and rights activist Baburaj Bhagavathy within India, following a legal request from Kerala Law Enforcement under local laws. The action has raised serious concerns over political censorship and suppression of dissenting voices.
Bhagavathy, an author and co-founder of the Islamophobia Research Collective, is widely known for his work documenting state-sponsored repression, communal narratives, and Islamophobia in Kerala, a state ruled by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
Civil rights organisations have condemned the restriction, describing it as an attempt to silence dissent and suppress voices critical of the state’s treatment of Muslims. The Solidarity Youth Movement Kerala, through its state president Thoufeekh Mampad, said the action amounted to a targeted silencing of one of the state’s most consistent critics of communalism and the misuse of state power.
Bhagavathy is also the co-editor of the Kerala Islamophobia Report 2024, alongside academic Dr. K. Ashraf. The report drew attention to rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Kerala’s media, political narratives, and institutions. His Facebook page had hosted a wide range of writings that critically examined casteism, majoritarianism, and civil liberties violations.
The restriction has effectively cut off Bhagavathy from the digital public sphere within India, even as his work continues to be cited in academic and activist circles. Critics argue that such action is particularly troubling coming from a Left-ruled state that champions itself as secular and progressive.
Bhagavathy was formerly associated with Thejas Daily and currently serves on the editorial board of Maruvakku, a Malayalam-language publication focused on critical political thought.
The case has prompted wider debates around freedom of expression, state surveillance, and the use of social media platforms to curb critical voices. Observers note that this reflects a growing discomfort within governments, including those on the political Left, towards critical engagement and grassroots dissent, particularly when it exposes uncomfortable truths around minority repression.
Meta has yet to issue a public statement, while Kerala government officials have not responded to queries regarding the specific legal grounds for the request.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
