Twitter has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, rejecting orders to censor content on its platform.

In a lawsuit filed in the High Court of Karnataka against the government, Twitter Inc. listed as the applicant.

Legal action by the social media giant suggests abuse of power by officials.

India's Ministry of Information and Technology asked the social media platform to remove several accounts and tweets that did not comply with new laws that allow the government to block access to content in the interest of national security.

Recently, the government demanded that an American company remove tweets by Indian journalist Rana Ayub, who criticizes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

Twitter also issued a notice to Indian journalist Mohammed Zubair, who was recently arrested for his tweets, saying that the Indian government had issued a notice that his account violated the country's laws.

Opponents of the Modi government have accused his administration of using Indian laws to stifle dissent and criticism.

Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnow said it was important to hold social media companies "accountable" and they should "self-regulate harmful" content.

He added that “whether it be any company in any sector, it must comply with the laws of India. Everyone is obliged to comply with the laws passed by Parliament.”

Last year, Twitter suspended more than 500 accounts at the behest of the Modi administration, but eventually reinstated them after a public outcry.