Kochi: Meta removed eight news cards posted by Malayalam news channel Reporter TV on Facebook within a span of 24 hours, including one concerning the arrest of a person whose social-media profile had identified him as a coordinator associated with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s online team.
One of the removed news cards concerned the arrest of three persons in Kasaragod after the police allegedly recovered around 130 grams of MDMA from a vehicle. One of those arrested, K.H. Muhammad Hussain, has been described in social-media posts as being associated with the Chief Minister’s social-media network. The Congress has denied that he held any official position in the Chief Minister’s office.
The arrest subsequently became a political issue, with questions being raised over the accused person’s alleged links with the Chief Minister’s social-media team. The government and the Congress have maintained that there was no official appointment.
Reporter TV said several other news cards were also removed from Facebook. These included reports involving criticism of the government by Opposition figures, comments on the removal of its news cards and demands concerning the families of missing fishermen. Promotional cards for programmes on the channel were also among the content reportedly taken down.
According to Reporter TV, Meta cited violations of its policies and said the action followed complaints. The channel has alleged that the legal mechanism used by Meta was being invoked to suppress news reports critical of the government.
The developments have led Reporter TV and Opposition leaders to question whether there was government intervention behind the removal of the posts. There is, however, no independent evidence at present establishing that the Kerala government directed Meta to remove the reports. Any such claim should therefore be treated as an allegation unless supported by documentary or other verifiable evidence.
The dispute has emerged alongside a renewed controversy over the proposed visit of Argentine football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to Kerala.
The proposal, announced in 2023, was for Argentina to play an exhibition match in Kerala. The plan did not materialise. A subsequent inquiry into the proposed event has raised questions over the procedures followed in connection with the project, including the involvement of private parties. Further examination of the matter has been sought. The Messi controversy has now become a subject of political debate, with questions being raised over whether the issue has received renewed attention at a politically sensitive time. The developments surrounding the drug arrest, the removal of the news cards and the Messi controversy have consequently become intertwined in the wider political debate in Kerala.
News in Same Category
Enforcement Directorate Conducts Raids on Properties Linked to Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy
Karnataka High Court Rejects Plea from Kerala CM’s Daughter’s Company, Contesting SFIO Investigation
Calcutta High Court Suggests Renaming Siliguri Zoo Animals Amid Controversy Over ‘Sita’ and ‘Akbar’ Names
Trinamool Congress Announces Lok Sabha Poll Candidates: Yusuf Pathan and Mahua Moitra Among Nominees
Centre Implements CAA Ahead of Elections; Opposition Raises Criticisms
Arvind Kejriwal Arrested by ED in Delhi Liquor Policy Case
Supreme Court to Consider Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea Amidst Political Turmoil in Delhi
Rajnath Singh Expresses Surprise at A K Antony’s Statement Advocating Anil Antony’s Defeat in Lok Sabha Polls
Nirmala Sitharaman Hints at Reviving Electoral Bonds Scheme Under Future Government
Kolkata Police’s Special Team Summons Raj Bhavan Staff Over Sexual Harassment Allegations Against West Bengal Governor
Modi: Rahul Gandhi Demonstrates ‘Baalak Buddhi’ Amidst Congress’s Third Consecutive Defeat
Congress in Kerala Strategizes for 2025 Local Body Elections Following Lok Sabha Victory
Amid Sangh Parivar backlash, Empuraan makers agree to cuts; many disappointed over filmmakers’ decision to comply
Air India Jet Veers Off Runway in Mumbai During Rain; All Passengers and Crew Safe
Congress seeks answers over Vice President Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation
CPM Announces Candidates for Kerala Assembly Polls
BJP Releases First List of 47 Candidates for Kerala Assembly Polls
India Slams Trump Post Calling Country “Hellhole”
Trump Orders US Military to “Shoot and Kill” Iranian Boats Allegedly Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz
Trump Dismisses Idea of Nuclear Strike on Iran, Calls Question Unreasonable
