The Indian government has strongly criticized Elon Musk's social media platform X after a lawyer representing the company made a controversial remark in court regarding government officials. During a hearing concerning content takedown orders, X's lawyer, K.G. Raghavan, stated that "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" government official had been authorized to issue these orders.

This statement drew immediate condemnation from India's Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who retorted that "officers are not Tom, Dick, or Harry... they are statutory functionaries". Mehta emphasized that these officials hold statutory authority and are not to be dismissed with such a flippant remark. He further added that "no social media intermediary can expect completely unregulated functioning".

The remarks were made during a hearing on X's challenge to a government-run website that the company has labeled a "censorship portal". X argues that this portal allows officials to arbitrarily issue content removal orders, while the Indian government maintains that it is only a means to swiftly notify companies of their due diligence obligations.

Raghavan, representing X, cited a recent instance where the railways department requested the removal of a video depicting a car being driven on railway tracks. He argued that while this was a news item, the government deemed it unlawful. "This is the danger, My Lord, that is done now, if every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer is authorized," Raghavan told the Karnataka High Court.

This legal clash highlights the ongoing tensions between X and the Indian government regarding content moderation. X has long been at odds with the government over content removal requests. In 2021, X, formerly known as Twitter, was locked in a standoff with the Indian government over non-compliance with legal orders to block certain tweets. While the platform eventually complied, a related court battle remains ongoing. The final hearing for this case is scheduled for July 8.

The Indian IT ministry and X have not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

India is a critical growth market for Elon Musk, who is reportedly close to launching his other major ventures, Starlink and Tesla, in the country. This ongoing dispute could have significant implications for Musk's business interests in India.

This isn't the first time that X has faced scrutiny regarding its operations in India. In March 2025, X filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, accusing it of expanding censorship powers through the Sahyog portal. X described the portal as granting "wide-ranging powers" to officials to issue content blocking orders that "fall outside the remit of the original law" and violate due process. The company claimed that "countless" government officials are "unilaterally and arbitrarily" issuing takedown orders, bypassing safeguards mandated by law.