A Bharatiya Janata Party video posted from its official handle @bjp4india on Instagram on April 30 reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Muslims was taken down from the platform after many users reported the clip for hate speech. The video repeats the BJP’s rhetoric on the Congress party “empowering people who belong to the very same community [of] invaders, terrorists, robbers and thieves [who] used to loot all our treasures.”
The voice-over says, “If Congress comes to power, it will snatch all the money and wealth from non-Muslims and distribute them among Muslims, their favourite community.” The video garnered over one lakh likes before being taken down.
Users who reported the clip received a notification from Instagram saying that the video had already been removed. It is unclear whether the animated clip was removed by the BJP itself or by Instagram’s moderation team. A spokesperson for the firm’s parent Meta was not immediately available for comment.
On top of the rhetoric — first issued directly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week — the video featured Congress leader Rahul Gandhi holding what appeared to be the party’s election manifesto with crescent-and-star iconography.
