Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis (File Photo)
The World Hindu Congress 2026 organising committee has written to the Mumbai and Delhi police and the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), seeking an explanation for the action and an inquiry into whether it complied with applicable laws and rules. The video was posted on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms on October 26, according to the committee. After the organisers re-uploaded it that night, the video was removed again on October 27. The video invites participants to Mumbai for the three-day congress, scheduled from December 18 to 20. It will feature seven parallel conferences on the economy, education, media, politics, women, youth and Hindu organisations, with participation capped at 4,000 registered delegates.
The committee said Meta had referred to legal requirements without identifying the specific statutory provision or platform policy invoked. MUMBAI: A video of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis inviting Hindus to attend the World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Mumbai was restricted in India and removed again after being re-uploaded, prompting the event’s organisers to seek government intervention and question Meta’s content moderation policies. The organisers have alleged possible bias against Hindu-related content, but the allegation has not been independently established. Within hours, access to it in India was restricted through a notification citing legal requirements under applicable information technology rules. The dispute raises questions about the transparency of platform decisions to restrict online content, particularly when the stated grounds are not accompanied by specific legal references in the notification received by the affected party. However, the organisers’ statement does not establish whether the action followed a government direction, a legal order or Meta’s own content moderation process. Meta’s response was not included in the statement. Maharashtra is hosting the event, whose theme is Samanam Vratam Saha Chittam , meaning shared resolve and collective determination. Organised by the World Hindu Foundation, the congress is an initiative of Swami Vigyananand, joint general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.