Elon Musk’s X Takes on Indian Government: A Legal Circus Unfolds! 🎪

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In a twist worthy of a theatrical farce, the illustrious Elon Musk, that modern-day Prometheus of the digital realm, has unleashed his legal hounds upon the Indian government. The stage? The Karnataka High Court, where the drama unfolds with all the flair of a Moscow cabaret. The protagonist? None other than X, the artist formerly known as Twitter, now strutting its stuff in a legal petition that could make even the most stoic judge raise an eyebrow.

What’s the crux of this legal melodrama, you ask? Well, it appears that the Indian government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to wield Section 79(3)(b) of the Income Tax Act like a blunt instrument, creating a censorship mechanism that would make even the most seasoned bureaucrat blush. X claims that this is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—an illegal and uncontrolled way to silence the voices of the people, all while tiptoeing around the legal protections that should be as solid as a Russian winter.

According to the sacred texts of the IT Act, intermediaries like our dear X must remove “unlawful content” when the government gives a little nudge. But here’s the kicker: X argues that the government is misinterpreting the law, mistaking Section 79(3)(b) for a magic wand that can erase inconvenient truths without following the proper rituals outlined in Section 69A. Ah, the irony! A government that prides itself on order and decorum, flouting its own rules like a tipsy ballet dancer.

Elon Musk-owned X has filed a legal petition in the Karnataka High Court, arguing that the Indian government’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and the Sahyog Portal creates an unlawful and unregulated censorship mechanism that bypasses statutory safeguards.

X…

— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) March 20, 2025

Enter Chandra R. Srikanth, the intrepid journalist from Money Control, who has taken to X to share this unfolding saga. The responses from the digital denizens have been nothing short of spectacular. One user quipped that a battle royale has commenced between Grok, Musk’s fact-checking AI, and the Indian government, suggesting that our tech titan will not retreat into the shadows without a fight. Another user, perhaps channeling their inner oracle, called for Grok to step up and fact-check this entire debacle.

And let us not forget, dear reader, that this is not X’s first tango with India’s content-blocking orders. Oh no! In the grand year of 2022, the company had already raised its voice against the draconian Section 69A, lamenting the government’s penchant for blocking entire accounts instead of merely silencing a few errant tweets. Truly, a saga for the ages!

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2025-03-20 12:53