Delhi Police asks X to block digital rights groups over RSS defamation claims
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New Delhi: The Delhi Police has asked social media platform X to remove posts and accounts belonging to two digital rights organisations over allegations that their content defamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), triggering concerns over the use of police powers to restrict online speech.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) said they received copies of the takedown requests from X on Tuesday. The police action reportedly covers posts discussing a legal notice issued in the RSS' name, which had asked the organisations to stop documenting and criticising government orders restricting online content.
According to IFF, the controversy began on October 29, when the two organisations and the operator of the X account Geo Blocked in India received the purported legal notice. It demanded that they discontinue publishing information about blocked content and government censorship orders.
The foundation said several RSS office-bearers subsequently questioned the authenticity of the notice. IFF also contacted the organisation seeking confirmation and published the notice along with its response.
On October 30, the Delhi Police's Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) submitted a content removal request to X, alleging that posts by IFF and SFLC were defamatory towards the RSS. A subsequent request on November 2 reportedly listed 40 links covering 37 posts and sought restrictions on the organisations' entire X accounts, as well as that of Geo Blocked in India.
The police also sought action against posts by 16 other individuals, including journalists and political figures, according to IFF.
Both digital rights organisations questioned the legal grounds for the requests, particularly the absence of disclosed court or magistrate orders and the demand to restrict entire accounts.
IFF said it would approach the courts if the police did not withdraw the requests. Both organisations have called for the takedown directions to be revoked. The Delhi Police and RSS had been approached for comment, but no response was reported.