New Delhi – A post describing a senior Indian politician as “useless” might seem trivial to many, but it sparked alarm among authorities in Satara, Maharashtra earlier this year. The post, shared in 2023 on X (formerly Twitter), became the subject of a confidential police takedown notice in January 2025—one of hundreds now at the centre of a growing legal clash between Elon Musk’s platform and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
"This post and content are likely to create serious communal tension," wrote Inspector Jitendra Shahane in a content-removal notice addressed to X.
The post remains online and is now part of a broader legal case that X filed in March, challenging what it calls a sweeping and unconstitutional crackdown on free speech in India. The lawsuit, filed in an Indian court, marks a rare public standoff between Musk—owner of X and the world’s richest man—and authorities in the world’s most populous democracy.
At the heart of the case lies India’s increasingly aggressive efforts to control online discourse. Since 2023, the government has empowered a wide range of federal, state, and police agencies to issue takedown requests, expanding what was once the domain of only a few central ministries. A new online platform, Sahyog (Hindi for “collaboration”), launched in October 2024, now facilitates these takedown demands directly with tech firms.
X, which did not join the Sahyog platform, has described it as a "censorship portal" in court filings. In a June 24 legal submission, the company accused Indian authorities of abusing their powers:
“Some of the blocking orders issued by officials target content involving satire or criticism of the ruling government, and show a pattern of abuse of authority to suppress free speech.”
Court documents reviewed by Reuters, along with interviews with seven police officers involved in the takedown system, expose the inner workings of this covert content-policing mechanism. The report reveals not only takedown requests targeting misinformation, but also efforts to suppress satire, cartoons, and even news coverage unfavourable to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Among the posts flagged by authorities were media reports on a deadly stampede in New Delhi, satirical cartoons mocking inflation and flood preparedness, and even a light-hearted meme involving West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an astronaut suit.
A System of Expanding Controls
Until recently, only India’s Information Technology and Broadcasting ministries could issue removal orders, and only under strict categories—such as threats to national security or public order. That changed in 2023 when the IT Ministry granted all government agencies the authority to seek removal of content "prohibited under any law," dramatically expanding the scope of censorship.
Companies that fail to comply risk losing legal immunity for user-generated content, making them liable under Indian law.
Between March 2024 and June 2025, X says it received around 1,400 removal orders, 70% of which came from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, a division under the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by senior BJP figure Amit Shah.
In response to the lawsuit, the Indian government filed a 92-page report defending its actions. The report accuses X of “hosting illegal content” and fostering social unrest through the spread of “hate and division.”
One notable incident cited in the government’s defense was a set of January takedown requests concerning doctored images of Jay Shah, son of Amit Shah and chairman of the International Cricket Council. The images placed Shah alongside a bikini-clad woman, which the cybercrime unit said "dishonour prominent office bearers and VIPs." Two of the posts remain online.
Targeting Media and Satire
In another striking example, X told the court that India’s Ministry of Railways sought to censor NDTV news reports about a fatal stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that killed 18 people in February. NDTV did not respond to queries from Reuters, and the ministry declined to comment.
The platform also pushed back against a cartoon from November 2024 showing a red dinosaur labelled "inflation" being tamed by caricatures of Prime Minister Modi and Tamil Nadu’s chief minister. Chennai police had demanded its removal in April 2025, calling it “deeply offensive” and “provocative.”
Another cartoon, depicting a sinking rescue boat with holes—a commentary on flood preparedness—was also flagged. X defended its decision not to remove the posts, arguing that they were months old and could not “incite political tensions” as alleged.
When approached by Reuters, Deputy Commissioner B. Geetha of Chennai’s cybercrime unit said:
"X does not fully grasp the cultural sensitivities. What may be acceptable in some countries can be considered taboo in India."
Political Fallout and Legal Stakes
Despite the escalating legal tensions, there is no public sign of strain in the personal rapport between Musk and Modi. The Indian Prime Minister and the tech mogul have shared warm exchanges in the past, particularly as Musk prepares to expand both Tesla and Starlink operations in India.
Even members of the ruling BJP have come under the scanner. In March, BJP lawyer Koustav Bagchi posted an image of Mamata Banerjee in a spacesuit, prompting a takedown notice.
"It was light-hearted," Bagchi told Reuters, adding that he was unaware of the takedown order.
Critics of the government’s expanding censorship powers argue that the new framework lacks accountability and is a clear overreach.
"Can a claim that some content is unlawful be termed as indeed unlawful merely because the government claims so?" asked Subramaniam Vincent, Director of Journalism and Media Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center.
"The executive branch cannot be both the arbiter of legality of media content, and the issuer of takedown notices."
As India gears up for further digital regulation, the outcome of X's legal challenge may prove pivotal—not only for the future of free speech in India but also for how global tech firms navigate the complex intersection of governance, law, and cultural sensitivities in the world’s largest democracy.
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