New Delhi: YouTube is reportedly looking into allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that his videos criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party are being suppressed on the platform.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Google-owned company's chief executive, Neal Mohan, said in an email on March 25 that the “Team is taking a look” at the issue. Mohan was responding to a letter sent by a group of overseas Indians who support the Congress.

This letter, according to the WSJ, cited data collected by Gandhi's social media team saying that his videos related to “the issue of cronyism of the ruling government with one industrialist, Mr. Gautam Adani" are not getting the kind of views YouTube analytics suggest they should. These videos, the letter says, are being “suppressed, perhaps unwittingly and algorithmically”.

"The data, which was reviewed by the Journal, showed that based on interactions such as likes on two videos alleging Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given special treatment to the company headed by Mr. Adani, the Adani Group, the videos should have received about 2.8 million views combined, but instead got less than a third of that," the WSJ report stated.

In his response, Mohan only said, "Thanks. Team is taking is a look."

Gandhi has alleged that his recent disqualification from parliament is only because the Modi regime is afraid of answering the questions he is raising about the Adani Group and its relationship with the government.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.