In India, a 2023 social media post calling a politician “useless” triggered a takedown order flagged as likely to “create serious communal tension.” The platform in question, X (formerly Twitter), did not comply. Now, Elon Musk’s company is suing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in a major legal battle over online censorship.
Why Is Elon Musk Suing the Indian Government?
In March 2025, X filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court, claiming India’s aggressive takedown regime violates free speech. The suit challenges a 2023 government directive that expanded the power of police and public agencies to remove online content deemed illegal. A new platform, Sahyog (Hindi for “collaboration”), launched in October 2024, now allows officials to send removal requests directly.
X refused to join the portal, calling it a “censorship portal,” and argues that many takedown orders target legitimate criticism, satire, or unfavorable political commentary. In court, X stated that some directives were “a pattern of abuse of authority to suppress free speech.” Musk, who once called India the most promising large country globally, now finds his platform fighting to protect user rights there.
What Content Is Being Targeted and Why Does It Matter?
Court filings show that from March 2024 to June 2025, Indian authorities requested the removal of approximately 1,400 posts or accounts on X. Over 70% of these were submitted by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, an agency under Modi’s home ministry. Examples include media reports about a fatal stampede, cartoons about inflation, and memes criticizing BJP politicians.
One such cartoon, showing a red dinosaur labeled “inflation” chasing Modi, was described as “deeply offensive” by Chennai police. Another, mocking flood preparedness, was claimed to incite political tensions, despite being months old.
Police say they’re preventing unrest, while X argues satire isn’t a crime. A BJP supporter, Koustav Bagchi, even had a takedown request issued over a meme featuring West Bengal’s chief minister in a space suit. He told Reuters the post was “light-hearted” and was unaware of any removal attempt.
India’s government has defended its position, saying it’s cracking down on harmful content like hoaxes, fake news, and child sexual abuse material. But critics say the approach lacks transparency and silences dissent. “The executive branch cannot be both the arbiter of legality of media content and the issuer of takedown notices,” said Subramaniam Vincent, media ethics director at Santa Clara University.
By Risper Akinyi