Elon Musk’s social-media platform X has filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court, asserting that India’s expanded content-removal regime violates constitutional free-speech guarantees. The suit, lodged in March and detailed in newly released court documents, contests a 2023 Information Technology Ministry directive that authorised all federal and state agencies and police to order takedowns and a 2024 government portal, Sahyog, designed to speed such requests. According to the filings, Indian authorities demanded that X remove roughly 1,400 posts or accounts between March 2024 and June 2025, with more than 70 % of the notices issued by the Home Ministry’s Cybercrime Coordination Centre. The disputed material ranges from political cartoons and news reports to posts officials allege contain misinformation or hate speech. X argues the system empowers thousands of officials to suppress legitimate criticism, while the government says the rules are essential to curb unlawful content and maintain public order. The case is the most sweeping legal challenge yet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tighter online-speech controls and could set a precedent for other technology firms. It unfolds as Musk seeks to expand Tesla and Starlink operations in one of X’s largest user markets, heightening commercial and regulatory stakes for both sides.