Published Mar 27, 2026 | 6:43 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 27, 2026 | 6:47 PM
VD Satheesan (Screengrab)
Synopsis: Meta took down part of an interview with Opposition Leader VD Satheesan on Facebook, reportedly at the request of police. Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Khelkar, however, termed it accidental. He said Meta was asked only to block comments, not the original post.
What first looked like a case of online censorship has now been recast as a technical misstep — but the timing has ensured the controversy refuses to fade.
Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Khelkar on Friday, 27 March, said the blocking of an interview featuring Opposition Leader VD Satheesan was “accidental”. The explanation came after Meta took down a part of the interview posted on Facebook, reportedly after a police directive.
Khelkar, however, said the Kerala Police had only asked Meta to remove abusive comments under the video, not the interview itself.
Somewhere along the way, that instruction appears to have gone off course, he stated.
“The comments section had a lot of abusive content. But instead of restricting that, the entire interview got taken down,” Khelkar said, adding that both the police and his office have now reached out to Meta to restore the video.
He also indicated that the matter has been flagged with the Election Commission of India, and expects the content to be reinstated soon.
The interview in question — a conversation between Satheesan and Johnny Lucas of Manorama News — had been geo-blocked in India after a notice issued under the IT Act by the Kerala Police’s cyber wing.
While the link remains visible on Facebook, viewers in India have been unable to access it.
Even as that issue moves towards resolution, another controversy tied to election administration continues to simmer.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to the Chief Election Commissioner, raising serious concerns over an earlier incident in which an Election Commission-related document surfaced carrying the seal of the BJP.
Vijayan has argued that such an episode cannot be brushed aside as a mere clerical lapse, especially given its potential to undermine institutional credibility.
He also took exception to the police action initiated against social media users who questioned the document, calling it disproportionate.
On its part, the Election Commission has completed its internal inquiry into the “seal” episode.
However, officials have remained tight-lipped about exactly how the party seal ended up in what was supposed to be an official communication — or whether accountability will extend beyond the assistant section officer, who has now been placed under suspension pending inquiry.
Yippee! Hello @TheKeralaPolice – am confirming I have received this. Have also posted photo of Vanish Kumar with BJP stamp on his forehead which may be even more harmful to “communal harmony” ( hahah this line is the best in your letter) pic.twitter.com/fDQaFZnsj3
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) March 24, 2026
