Thiruvananthapuram: The Office of Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has written to Meta and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) over the removal of two posts from the official Facebook page CMO KERALAM.
The two posts reportedly concerned the announcement of the Onam festival allowance for ASHA workers and a Nabidinam greeting message. The Chief Minister’s Office has sought the immediate restoration of both posts.
In its communication to Meta, the CMO has also demanded a clear explanation for the removal of the content in accordance with applicable IT laws and regulations. The office has sought details on why the posts were taken down and the basis on which the decision was made.
The matter has also been brought to the attention of the Union IT Ministry. The Chief Minister’s Office has requested the ministry to intervene and take necessary steps to ensure that similar action does not occur against official government social media communications without proper justification.
The letter was sent by Rathan U. Khelkar, IAS, Secretary to the Chief Minister.
The removal of the posts has raised concerns within the Chief Minister’s Office because the CMO KERALAM Facebook page is an official platform used to communicate government decisions, welfare measures, public announcements and messages directly to citizens.
The CMO has therefore sought clarification from Meta regarding the specific reason for removing the two posts. If the content was removed on the grounds of a policy or regulatory violation, the office has asked that the relevant reasons be clearly communicated.
The post concerning the Onam festival allowance for ASHA workers was related to a government announcement concerning a section of frontline health workers. The second post conveyed greetings on the occasion of Nabidinam.
The Chief Minister’s Office has taken the position that government-related communications published through official social media channels should not be removed without clear and transparent justification.
By approaching both Meta and the Union IT Ministry, the Kerala CMO is seeking not only the restoration of the two posts but also greater clarity on the procedures followed when content from official government accounts is removed.
The response from Meta and the Union IT Ministry is now awaited. The issue could also prompt further discussion on the moderation of government-run social media accounts and the balance between platform policies, content moderation and official public communication.
