Ever since Elon Musk took over, banning social media accounts became common: Iltija Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti told Meta on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, that she was considering taking legal action to close Twitter and Facebook accounts, and said, “Such actions have become very common since Elon Musk took over.”

Ms. Mufti said, “I was not notified before access to the accounts was blocked. I do not yet know why my social media account information was blocked by Twitter and Facebook. I cannot even reach Meta to solve the problem because the interface is inaccessible. It seems that the only way to restore my account information is through legal means.” he said.

Ms Mufti, daughter of former Prime Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, who has around 50,000 followers on these platforms, has emerged on social media as a bold voice on rights issues and a critical voice against the Omar Abdullah government.

“There is a pattern of silencing brave voices in Kashmir. I am the latest in a series of statements by journalists and thinkers in the region. It is regrettable that my account was hidden a few hours after I addressed a press conference on Prime Minister Omar Abdullah’s unacceptable remarks on the liquor ban. There seems to be a connection between the two incidents,” Ms Mufti said.

Ms Mufti contested the first Assembly elections in 2024 but lost to an NC candidate. He said the ban on social media accounts affected his ability to “raise issues of public importance and reach out to people about mismanagement.”

“It is the duty of politicians to raise public awareness about an issue. Social media is a powerful tool in democracies to ensure that people’s concerns are highlighted and a meaningful conversation takes place. Banning politicians’ accounts is an attack on the democratic ecosystem,” he added.

Ms Mufti faced a controversy on April 29 when she posted a video of Mr Geelani on X. “It may not be in line with Geelani Sahab’s ideology, but this old video, in which he emphasizes the importance of Urdu very well, makes a lot of sense, among other reasons. It is worth watching,” he said.

The video, which went viral with nearly 1,57,000 views and over 168 reshares on X, was followed by a police FIR against unidentified persons. Ms. Mufti said, “My name has not been mentioned in any FIR. I am ready to clear my position if requested.”

According to the police, the circulation and distribution of content (videos) on digital and social media platforms was acted on the basis of credible inputs to promote separatist ideology and spread misinformation, with the aim of promoting illegal activities prejudicial to the peace, sovereignty and integrity of India.