The official X account of international news agency Reuters has been withheld in India, with the platform citing a “legal demand” as the reason. However, the Indian government has denied issuing any such directive and is reportedly in talks with X to resolve the issue, news agency PTI reported.

A government spokesperson told PTI that “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters and we are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”

The Reuters account is expected to be restored soon, PTI reported citing sources.

The issue appears to stem from an earlier directive during "Operation Sindoor" in May, when a large number of X accounts, including those of foreign media outlets, were flagged for blocking.

Although Reuters’ main handle was not blocked at the time, X seems to have recently acted on the outdated order, resulting in the sudden restriction. Indian authorities have now asked the platform to explain the move and reverse it.

A similar situation has emerged with the X accounts of Chinese state media outlet Global Times and Turkey’s TRT World, which were also withheld in India in recent days.

The government confirmed that there is no current legal requirement for their suspension and that discussions with X are ongoing to lift the bans.

Notably, affiliated handles such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China remain accessible in India, while the primary Reuters and Reuters World accounts are restricted. Users attempting to view these pages are met with the message: “Account withheld. @Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”

On its help center page, X explains that such actions are taken in compliance with valid legal requests, such as court orders or regulations specific to a country. As of now, Reuters has not publicly commented on the matter.