Editors Guild criticise Union IT Ministry’s order to take down The Wire’s cartoon
text_fields
New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has criticised the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for ordering the removal of a cartoon featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was posted on The Wire’s Instagram page. The Guild said the action undermines India’s reputation as a tolerant democracy and described the justification offered for the takedown as laughable.
In a statement issued on February 12, the Guild said The Wire had not been formally informed of the reason for the cartoon’s removal. It said the publication’s founders were orally told that the cartoon could affect the country’s security and reputation. The Guild argued that if this was indeed the rationale, it was laughable, emphasising that freedom of expression is a constitutional right and that public officials, including those in high office, are open to editorial scrutiny and satire. It described the 52-second cartoon as harmless.
The controversy followed the blocking of The Wire’s Instagram account in India on February 9 for nearly two hours. Users attempting to access the page, which has over 1.3 million followers, were shown a message stating that the account was unavailable in India due to compliance with a legal request. The cartoon was later removed from social media platforms and YouTube, The Wire reported.
The Guild noted that The Wire was asked to explain its conduct only about 22 hours after the cartoon had already been taken down and the Instagram page restricted. It said the episode reflected growing intolerance and increased scrutiny by the government and its representatives, and that such actions weaken India’s standing as a democracy that allows space for satire and media commentary.
The Guild also urged the government to review the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, which provide for expedited takedown of certain types of online content, including material created synthetically.
Additionally, the Guild called on the government to carefully reassess new laws introduced in the name of regulating artificial intelligence, cautioning that they should not end up restricting media freedom or curbing free speech.
Earlier, the DIGIPUB News India Foundation and the Press Club of India had also expressed concern over recent actions targeting independent media platforms, including The Wire, Deshabhimani newspaper and the Malayalam portal No Cap, warning that such measures point to a broader pattern of censorship and shrinking space for free expression.