Media Watch: The Wire’s Instagram Gets Blocked Following a Satirical Video on PM Modi

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“Hasna Mana Hai: The Joke Is on the Modi Government,” posted media outlet The Wire on 10 February 2026. The trolling came after a parody animation video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was posted on The Wire’s social media accounts and was immediately blocked by Instagram, Facebook, and X, triggering outrage among users over freedom of speech.

According to a report by The Wire, its Instagram account, which has over 1 million followers, was blocked in India for more than two hours on 9 February 2026. Several users noticed that the media outlet’s Instagram page displayed a message stating “not available in India,” accompanied by a note saying “legal request to restrict this content.”

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It all began with a satirical animated video of PM Modi wearing a crown.

The 52-second-long animated video, created by 56 production houses, was posted by The Wire on its Instagram, X, and Facebook handles on 7 February 2026. The parody video, which aimed to take a dig at the recent debacle in Parliament over the government’s role in the 2020 India–China border clash, became a topic of discussion after it gained popularity on 9 February 2026.

The video depicted PM Modi with various expressions, running and riding a horse to a parody version of Lakdi Ki Kathi (1982). It also took a dig at PM Modi for allegedly avoiding questions regarding former Chief of Army Staff General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished book, Four Stars of Destiny.

What followed was a silent strike on The Wire’s social media accounts.

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The Wire reported that its accounts on various social media platforms were visible only to viewers who had access to a VPN (Virtual Private Network). It further reported that the move to take down the entire account was “in error,” and that some officials at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) reportedly stated, “We have not blocked your account.” An unverified report by the media outlet claimed that the ministry had intended for Meta to just take down the parody video of PM Modi. 

Several social media users, along with the editorial board of The Wire, raised questions about the removal of the cartoon video. The Wire pointed to Article 19(1)(a), which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression under the Indian Constitution.

Many users across X and Instagram recalled how Indian media once portrayed political leaders as caricatures, questioning their weak leadership. One user on Instagram referenced a time when cartoon caricatures were broadcast on primetime television years ago. An X user took a dig at PM Modi by making a popular reference to his alleged response during the India–China clash, writing, “jo uchit samjha wo kiya,” along with a horse emoji.

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