India cracks down on satirists for turning its prime minister right into a punch line : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8162x5441+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F8f%2F2585d6594df78c29a9b893e51db5%2Fgettyimages-2261850775.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8162x5441+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F8f%2F2585d6594df78c29a9b893e51db5%2Fgettyimages-2261850775.jpg" class="img" alt="Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands in the center of a row with six other men at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19. The other men include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (third from right), Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (second from right), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (third from left) and Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang (second from left)." fetchpriority="high"/> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (middle) takes a gaggle picture with AI firm leaders, together with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (third from proper), Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (second from proper), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (third from left) and Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang (second from left), on the AI Affect Summit in New Delhi on Feb. 19. Ludovic Marin/AFP through Getty Photographs conceal caption

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Ludovic Marin/AFP through Getty Photographs MUMBAI, India — For years, supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fastidiously cultivated his public picture as a strongman and laborious taskmaster — a pacesetter who places in 18‑hour days to propel India towards superpower standing.

For instance India's rise, they tout Modi's rapport with different world leaders — like when he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late February. Modi was beneficiant together with his signature hugs and laughs, and Netanyahu effusive with reward for his "nice good friend."

But three days after their assembly, Israel and the U.S. launched their battle on Iran, sending India's forex and inventory market tumbling. Iran additionally restricted the motion of gasoline ships within the Strait of Hormuz, forcing Indians to scramble for cooking fuel and shuttering many eating places and factories.

The Indian authorities, led by Modi, seemed to be caught off guard by the battle.

After which, the memes started.

Indian satirists, cartoonists and comedians flocked to X, Instagram and Fb to mock Modi.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4062x2708+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F18%2F64%2Fa6d37c3643bba8f21c808b25ce91%2Fgettyimages-2263059434.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4062x2708+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F18%2F64%2Fa6d37c3643bba8f21c808b25ce91%2Fgettyimages-2263059434.jpg" class="img" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk next to one another as they leave after a press conference in Jerusalem on February 26. Behind them are alternating Israeli and Indian flags." loading="lazy"/> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, depart after a press convention in Jerusalem on Feb. 26. Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs conceal caption

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Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

Cartoonist Satish Acharya drew Modi sporting a gag and shutting his eyes to information concerning the battle. Instagram person Namaskaar reworked a well-liked hymn to attraction to Modi to make use of his friendship with Netanyahu to resolve India's gasoline crunch. Comic Pulkit Mani carried out a pointy mimicry of Modi's exuberance and awkward hugs whereas assembly world leaders.

Indian censors are additionally watching.

A number of accounts and posts, together with these of Acharya and Mani, had been withheld in India. In emails shared by dozens of customers, host platforms X and Meta claimed they had been doing this as per authorized requests by Indian authorities.

The blocked accounts embrace these belonging to well-liked impartial journalists and satirists with a whole bunch of hundreds of followers, and even one legislator from the opposition Trinamool Congress celebration.

"It is actually stuff that is important of the federal government," says Prateek Waghre, an web coverage researcher with Tech World Institute. He says the orders usually come from each the police and the federal ministry, and typically, customers aren't advised why their content material is being blocked.

Pricey Maharashtra Cyber Division @MahaCyber1 . You could have despatched a take down discover to X on one in every of my tweets . When lawful speech is focused for elimination, it raises critical questions concerning the well being of our democracy. Please word : Article 19(1)(a) of the Structure is just not… pic.twitter.com/arwPEDMFBJ

— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) March 23, 2026

A 3-hour takedown deadline Coverage consultants say such speedy takedown orders are attainable as a result of India final 12 months tightened an present legislation requiring social media corporations to take away posts flagged as unlawful by authorities, and shortened the compliance window from 36 hours to simply three. A brand new algorithm proposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Data Know-how now goes even additional, searching for to limit creators themselves whereas making platforms straight accountable for the content material they host.

The ministry, X and Meta didn't reply to NPR's request for remark or conform to an interview.

India's content material takedown regime is "essentially the most aggressive timeline for any jurisdiction on the planet," says Akash Karmakar, a New Delhi-based lawyer who focuses on know-how legislation. A 3-hour takedown deadline leaves it open to misuse, he says. And whereas customers can problem the orders in Indian excessive courts, "the possibilities of you having the ability to get a courtroom reprieve to even essentially the most perverse order in a matter of three hours is 0.00%," he provides.

That is what occurred to Prateek Sharma, who runs the satirical account Dr Nimo Yadav on X.

In March, X emailed him in the course of the evening, saying the Indian authorities had requested the platform to dam his account. When the excessive courtroom heard his problem days later, a authorities counsel defended the federal government's request, saying the posts portrayed Modi in "dangerous style."

Like when Sharma wrote, "Elect a clown, count on a circus."

On Monday, the Delhi Excessive Court docket directed X to reinstate his account, whereas maintaining the particular posts cited within the preliminary order blocked.

The mirage of Modi Analysts say this burst of irreverence towards Modi is, partly, a response to the relentless mythmaking by his supporters over the 12 years since he first got here to energy.

"I really feel that the present era of 22-to-25-year-olds do not relate to him," says Sunil Sharma, a well-liked satirist identified by his pseudonym, Rofl Gandhi, who has additionally had greater than a dozen of his posts withheld in India. "Individuals at the moment are realizing that this fantasy of getting a giant aura in international lands was simply largely media creation."

Modi's ubiquity in India, analysts say, has additionally turn out to be his Achilles' heel. For years, his staff has often positioned him on the middle of India's success tales in sports activities, science and past.

"Individuals really feel they'll direct their frustration on the man who claims credit score for every part that has gone proper of their lives," says Kapil Komireddi, writer of the ebook Malevolent Republic: A Quick Historical past of the New India.

Lately, "Godi media" — a well-liked shorthand for retailers seen as uncritically aligned with the federal government — has turn out to be a defining function of India's media panorama. This contains main tv networks, some owned by highly effective billionaires and others influenced by state strain.

Some satirists have begun focusing on these pliant broadcasters as nicely. YouTuber Purav Jha, as an example, remodeled the Bollywood hit All Is Properly right into a parody titled "All Izz Hell." Set to an upbeat tune, it options traces akin to "Corruption is uncontrolled, literacy is in shambles, information channels are a farce, influencers are, as an alternative, doing actual journalism."

YouTube

Over time, many critics and satirists have been arrested, dragged into prolonged courtroom circumstances or doxxed on-line. Some have even acquired demise threats. However regardless of the dangers, many stay undeterred.

Prateek Sharma, the satirist whose account was briefly blocked, says: "I'll proceed to do every part I can inside my rights." Be it phrases, memes or songs — the jokes, he says, should proceed.

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