India has written to Twitter warning it to comply with orders to block accounts and content related to a protest by farmers, a technology ministry source said yesterday.

Twitter blocked dozens of accounts in India, including that of a leading news magazine, on Monday after the government said that users were posting content aimed at inciting violence.

But it later unblocked some of these accounts.

"Twitter unilaterally unblocked accounts, tweets despite the government's order. Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of the government," the source, who declined to be named as the notice sent to Twitter was not public, told Reuters.

India's Home Affairs Ministry had demanded the suspension of "close to 250 Twitter accounts" that were allegedly posting content that sought to foment violence, a government official previously told Reuters.

"Content with #Modi Planning Farmer Genocide was posted on Twitter, which was designed to inflame passions, hatred and was factually incorrect," the technology ministry source said.

Twitter declined to comment on the notice.

Pop superstar Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg also drew the ire of the Indian government yesterday after they tweeted in support of the massive farmers' protest, reports AFP.

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, a vocal Modi supporter, responded by calling the protesting farmers "terrorists" and Rihanna a "fool".

 Indian farmers' leaders yesterday outlined plans to scale up months of protests against agricultural reforms. "This gathering shows the anger against the government and we will continue our fight," union leader Rakesh Tikait told a 50,000-strong rally of the politically influential Jat community in northern Haryana state.