Vikatan Group, located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, said several readers have reported that they are unable to access its website, however there has been no official confirmation from government sources about the website being blocked, reports The Hindu.
The development comes amid a cartoon of聽 prime minister Narendra Modi in chains published in Vikatan Magazine,聽 which was criticised by BJP supporters.
In a post on X, Vikatan said it is still trying to ascertain the reasons behind the blocking of its website, and are in the process of taking up the matter with the Union Ministry of Information and of Information and Broadcasting. The website became accessible again on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier, Vikatan Plus, the digital magazine of Vikatan, published a cover cartoon on February 10, highlighting the issue of Indians being handcuffed and deported from the United States, while prime minister Modi remained silent on the matter.
This cartoon was criticised by BJP supporters, and BJP state president Annamalai reportedly lodged a complaint against Vikatan with the central government, the Group said in a post on X.
In a post on X,聽 Annamalai said his party has filed two separate representations one with the Chairperson of Press Council of India and another with union minister of state for ministry of information and broadcasting聽 L Murugan聽 seeking prompt action against Vikatan magazine.
Many users from different locations have reported that they are unable to access the Vikatan website. However, as of now, there has been no official announcement from the central government regarding the blocking of the website, Vikatan said.
鈥楩or nearly a century, Vikatan has stood firmly in support of freedom of expression. We have always operated with the principle of upholding free speech and will continue to do so, Vikatan said.
