New Delhi, In a defiant stance against the Indian government, social media giant X has refused to fully comply with orders to block accounts and posts related to the ongoing farmers’ protests, emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression for the affected content.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the directive from India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT, acting on a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs, sought the temporary suspension of 177 accounts associated with the farmers’ protests. In response, X announced that while it would restrict access to these accounts and posts within India to comply with the legal requirements, it does not agree with the government’s decision and advocates for the right to free speech to be applied to these posts.

X’s statement highlighted the platform’s commitment to transparency and accountability, critiquing the Indian government’s lack of disclosure regarding the executive orders. The company argued that this opacity could lead to unchecked and arbitrary enforcement actions. As part of its policy, X has notified the affected users about the government’s orders against their content.

The refusal to fully block the content comes amid widespread protests by farmers across India, who are demanding reforms including assurances on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops and debt relief. The situation escalated when farmer leaders postponed their march to the national capital for two days following a protester’s death and injuries to about a dozen police officers during clashes on the Punjab-Haryana border.

X’s call for making the government’s blocking orders public underscores the ongoing debate over freedom of expression on the internet, especially in situations involving public dissent and protest. The case remains pending in court, with a writ appeal challenging the legality of the Indian government’s orders to block social media content.