Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar’s X  account has been permanently suspended after two of her posts were flagged for alleged copyright violations. Bhaskar, known for her outspoken views and active presence on social media, took to Instagram to express her anger and frustration over the decision, calling it “ridiculous and untenable.”

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

In her Instagram post, the actress revealed that her account was suspended due to two specific images. The first image featured a popular protest slogan in Hindi: “Gandhi, we are ashamed; your killers are still alive.” The second was a photo of her own child, waving the Indian flag on Republic Day, with the child’s face concealed. Bhaskar questioned how these images, one of which is a widely recognized slogan associated with India’s progressive movement, could be considered copyright infringements.

Silencing Voice

The actress suggested that the suspension was a result of mass reporting, aimed at silencing her voice. “If these tweets have been mass reported, it is an effort to harass me and suppress my freedom of speech and expression,” Bhaskar wrote. She further called out the platform for its role in potentially enabling these attacks on her, which she believes are designed to stifle her political and social opinions.

Along with her Instagram post, Bhaskar shared screenshots of the notices she received from X, which notified her of the copyright claims. According to Bhaskar, the images were wrongly flagged as violations of copyright law. One of the flagged images featured the slogan, “Gandhi Hum Sharmindaa hain, Tere qaatil zinda hain,” written in Hindi Devnagri script. Bhaskar argued that this slogan is a part of India’s urban modern folk idiom and does not violate any copyright.

Here is her Instagram post:

In her post, Bhaskar pointed out the irony of the situation, stating that the images in question were a protest slogan and a personal family photo, neither of which could logically be considered copyrighted material. She expressed disbelief at how her account had been locked and subsequently permanently suspended by the platform’s team.

The actress has called on X to reconsider the decision, and many of her supporters have rallied behind her, echoing her concerns about freedom of speech and expression. Bhaskar, known for her candid remarks on political and social issues, has been no stranger to online controversies and often uses her platform to speak on issues ranging from women’s rights to political unrest in India.

ALSO READ: Ed Sheeran Sets The Stage On Fire In Pune As He Kicks Off His Six-City India Tour, Check The List