YouTube Blocks Modi-Adani Video Essay in India After Government Complaint
YouTube has blocked access in India to a video essay concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani. The platform cited a "legal complaint from a government entity" as the reason for the restriction.
Video platform YouTube has restricted access in India to a video essay titled "How Modi and Adani Stole India | The Friendship Files." The video, created by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia, examines the relationship between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani.
YouTube stated the video was blocked following a "legal complaint from a government entity" after a review. The platform did not specify which government body made the complaint or the legal grounds cited. The video was uploaded on October 9 and had garnered approximately 45,000 views before being restricted. Access remains possible via a VPN connection.
Copies of the video essay have circulated on social media platforms despite the block. Sabeer Bhatia has also shared the video on his X account, where it has accumulated over 1.8 million views. Several individuals, including a Member of Parliament, have shared the content, and these copies remain accessible in India.
The incident occurs amid ongoing discussions in India regarding online content regulation and censorship. Previously, authorities have utilized the Information Technology Act to request the removal of posts concerning Adani and Modi, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued takedown orders for online news content, although some of these have been challenged and overturned by courts.