Social Media Accounts Critical of Indian Government Blocked Amid Legal Demands

In a recent move, several social media accounts critical of the Indian government have been blocked following legal demands. The platform X has indicated that these restrictions are in response to a legal request, although no official explanation has been provided by the government. Affected accounts include parody profiles and well-known activists. Concerns have been raised by political parties and advocacy groups regarding the implications for freedom of expression and the lack of transparency in the blocking process. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between social media platforms and governmental authority in India.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 19, 2026, 20:01 IST

Overview of Account Blockages

Since Wednesday, numerous accounts on the social media platform X, particularly those critical of the Indian government, have been restricted within the country.

The platform indicated that these accounts were withheld due to a legal request, although the government has not provided any official explanation for the action.

Details of Affected Accounts

Among the accounts affected are parody profiles like @DrNimoYadav, @Nehr_who, and @indian_armada, along with well-known users such as @mrjethwani_ and @Doc_RGM. Additionally, the account of journalist and activist Sandeep Singh has also been restricted.

Hartosh Singh Bal, editor of The Caravan, noted that a tweet from March 14 promoting a 2022 article had also been blocked. This tweet featured the cover of the April 2002 issue of India Today, which depicted Narendra Modi, then the chief minister of Gujarat, with the headline “Hero of Hatred.”

Legal Framework for Account Restrictions

Bal explained that X received a blocking order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

This section allows authorized personnel in the Union government, at least at the rank of joint secretary, to issue content removal orders to social media platforms if the content is considered a threat to national security, sovereignty, or public order.

Political Reactions and Concerns

The Congress party has labeled the withholding of these accounts as unacceptable.

On Thursday, the advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation expressed its concern regarding the reports of social media accounts and posts being withheld in India, particularly those that include satire and criticism of the government.

They highlighted that users have been receiving generic notices stating ‘withheld in India’ with minimal explanation, while independent reports have documented takedowns affecting political, satirical, or critical speech that is not clearly unlawful.

The foundation urged platforms to provide more than just standard messages, advocating for meaningful notifications, record preservation for challenges, and detailed transparency reporting, as online censorship affects the public's right to access information.

Emerging Trends in Account Restrictions

Prateek Waghre, a fellow at Tech Policy Press, noted a potential “mini-wave of restrictions” occurring recently.

He observed that the current trend appears to involve more account-level restrictions rather than specific tweets. A list compiled by Waghre indicated that at least 316 accounts on X in India were blocked as of Thursday due to legal demands.