Political cartoonists across India are increasingly finding their work restricted on social media following legal requests from law enforcement — often without any clarity on the law invoked.

In recent months, at least three sets of cartoonists and one publication have faced restrictions citing requests from Haryana law enforcement or central authorities. In each instance, platforms said they were complying with local law. Though in none of the cases was the specific legal provision disclosed. 

There were other key questions that remained unanswered: whether the request targeted a specific post or entire accounts; whether platforms acted through automated systems or manual review; and which office formally initiated or routed the requests. Under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the government may block online content to protect sovereignty, defence, security of the state, or public order. But in these instances, there has been little transparency about the legal basis for the restrictions.

Modi-Trump cartoon leads to account restrictions

For Pune-based cartoonist Gaurav Sarjerao, the restriction escalated from a single post to his entire Instagram account being made inaccessible in India. He is now exploring legal options.

Sarjerao, a freelance cartoonist and president of the Cartoonist Combine, has contributed cover illustrations to the Marathi weekly Marmik for five years. In July 2025, he created a cartoon featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for the magazine’s cover. On August 1, 2025, he posted an animated version of it on Instagram. The video received 21 lakh views and was shared 1.5 lakh times.

In January this year, he received a notification that the post had been restricted in India following a “complaint from Haryana law enforcement”. Within hours, his entire account – which has over 36,000 followers – was restricted in India.

“Initially I sent repeated communication to Instagram and Meta but did not receive any........

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