Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tribute to 19th century anti-caste social reformer and women’s rights pioneer Jyotiba Phule on Saturday on X drew some disparaging comments seemingly from Hindutva supporters under the social media platform’s community notes, a feature that the Indian government wants to put under a regulatory framework.

The notes on Modi’s tribute to Phule appear to be from the same group that forms the core support base of the prime minister’s party, the BJP. One user dismissed the PM's tribute as an attempt to whitewash “a anti-Hindu to the core [sic].”

Another note that accused Phule of being “anti-Hindu” began with: “Phule’s “reform” was less about equality than a theological assault on Vedas & Hinduism.”

The comments have come at a time when the Modi government is pushing for an amendment to the Information Technology Rules that will bring the community notes feature on X under the remit of government regulation when the discussion is on news or current affairs.

Once cleared under the amended rules, the government can seek removal of any content that questions or corrects government claims.

For some time now, the Narendra Modi government has been trying to figure its way around community notes, which have often called out Modi and other Union ministers and BJP leaders.

On Friday, The Hindustan Times had reported that a community note on a February 14 video posted by PM Modi from a business summit had declared that the Centre’s policies on social justice for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes violated the Article 14 and 15 of the Constitution. The note has since been taken down.

Another note apparently fact-checking a BJP post on “infiltration” was removed.

Community notes is a user-generated fact-checking tool that X (formerly Twitter) introduced in India in April 2024 to allow users to participate on the platform as contributors.

X says it does not moderate the notes; only those that meet the platform’s own guidelines and rated as helpful by “people from diverse perspectives” are allowed to appear.

Meta, which allows community notes for its platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads, is considering expanding the feature to India, though no deadline is known yet.

Once the rules are changed the government will have the power to decide whether a note is unlawful and will initiate proceedings for its take down which could include blocking, removal or limiting access to the platform.

On March 30, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India had proposed the amendments to the IT rules which aim at user-generated content.

“These amendments do not in any way give us wider powers. They are only clarificatory and incidental in nature,” IT secretary S. Krishnan told the media in Delhi on Tuesday.

The government had set a deadline till April 14 for suggestions from experts and the general public on the proposed changes to the existing rules. Sources said the deadline could be extended till the end of April.

The internet, however, is merciless in such things. Trolls will troll.

Also on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi praised Bihar’s former chief minister Nitish Kumar for his “indelible contribution to the development of Bihar.” One user replied to the comment with a video of a waterlogged, dirty street with the words “Smart City Bhagalpur” written on it.

The user added in Hindi: “The so-called development ushered in by Nitish ji and you really cannot be matched.”