Facebook temporarily blocked posts with the hashtag #ResignModi that called for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. 

The social media giant has now restored the hashtag after it was accused of censoring posts because it may have violated community standards. 

This is what happens when you search for the hashtag #ResignModi on Facebook (at least in India). pic.twitter.com/Rzehg3meB8

"We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to,” Facebook said in a statement. 

Andy Stone from Facebook communications later tweeted that the social network was "looking into what happened.”

This hashtag has been restored and we are looking into what happened.

When searching for the #ResignModi hashtag, users in India met with a message "Posts with #ResignModi are temporarily hidden here. Some content in those posts goes against our community standards.” 

Last week, Twitter also removed several posts at the requests of the Indian Government as “Certain people are misusing social media to create panic in society,” India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had said in a statement.  

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all removed posts which they were asked to do which put a question mark on the integrity of social media companies in India.  

© Unsplash/glen-carrie

"When we receive a valid legal request, we review it under both the Twitter Rules and local law. If the content violates Twitter's Rules, the content will be removed from the service," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. "If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction, but not in violation of the Twitter Rules, we may withhold access to the content in India only.” 

It seems like the recent blockage of the hashtag was only implemented in India as Facebook users in other countries could still access posts marked with #ResignModi.  

© Reuters

There were about 12,000 posts hidden that Facebook later restored after it scrutinised all over the world for manipulating information.   

Whether Facebook blocked the hashtag by mistake or not, it sure seems like the social media giant is far from being neutral in India.  

We should know more once the company clarifies as to why the hashtag was blocked in India especially since the Government of India did not request it. 

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