Hindu activist Vijay Patel’s X, account has been withheld in India following an order reportedly issued by an Indian court. Patel, known for his strong nationalist stance, revealed that his account was restricted after he publicly criticised Malabar Gold & Diamonds a prominent Kerala-based jewelry company for collaborating with a Pakistani influencer who had allegedly mocked the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor.
Patel announced the withholding of his account with a defiant post stating, “My account is withheld in India by order of the Indian court for supporting the Indian Army! Happy Dhanteras.” His message quickly went viral, with thousands expressing concern over what they view as an alarming case of corporate power being used to suppress free speech and nationalist expression.
The controversy erupted after Patel posted a series of statements on X accusing Malabar Gold of hiring Pakistani influencers for its brand campaigns. One of the influencers, identified as Alishba Khalid, had previously made anti-India remarks and mocked India’s Operation Sindoor the recent military campaign that reaffirmed India’s dominance in counter-terror operations.
In a bold post tagging the company’s chairman, MP Ahammed, Patel wrote, “So MP Ahammed-owned Malabar Gold wants to send me to jail for exposing their Pakistani influencer collaboration, who has mocked our Operation Sindoor.”
Patel questioned why an Indian-origin company would promote individuals from Pakistan a country he described as “responsible for the blood of Indians” especially when the influencer in question had previously insulted India’s military operations. “As an Indian company, it’s your first duty to hire only Indian influencers instead of Pakistani ones. You failed in it,” he wrote.
Vijay Patel’s criticism was rooted not in mere commercial nationalism, but in deep-seated patriotism. He linked the issue to India’s painful history with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, citing the Pahalgam terror attack where 26 people were killed including 24 Hindus who were reportedly identified by their religion before being executed.
“For an Indian company to work with Pakistani influencers when our soldiers and civilians have been martyred at the hands of terrorists from that same country is not just poor judgement; it’s an insult to our national pride,” Patel asserted.
In the wake of the backlash, Malabar Gold grudgingly admitted that it had indeed hired Pakistani influencer Alishba Khalid, but attempted to deflect the blame onto its partner marketing agency. The company maintained that the influencer engagement was outsourced and that it was unaware of her controversial past remarks.
However, the admission has done little to calm public anger. Social media users across platforms have accused the company of hypocrisy and insensitivity. Several users also questioned how a multinational enterprise with vast resources could have failed to vet the influencer’s background before hiring her.
Following Patel’s exposé, reports surfaced that Malabar Gold had initiated legal action against him, allegedly seeking to silence his criticism through court proceedings. Patel claims that the company is attempting to “weaponise the legal system” to intimidate him into silence.
“So now a powerful corporate wants to send me to jail for supporting my Army and my country?” Patel asked in another post. “Let me clarify again — I will choose jail over bowing down to a company that hires anti-India influencers for profit.”
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