NEW DELHI — India is now ground zero in a struggle over the instrument that so enhanced its democracy but now threatens to undermine it: the Internet. In late December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government proposed new rulesempowering it to order Internet companies like Facebook and Twitter to remove content from their platforms within 24 hours. The government broadly defines the rules as affecting “intermediaries,” which could potentially mean all Internet-based companies, from social media platforms to search engines to e-commerce platforms. The criticism was swift from Internet giants, who are calling the move a form of censorship and are mounting a legal battle. With Indian general elections on the horizon, these rules are indeed a disturbing form of censorship but they also go beyond that. While they are only in draft form and currently open to public debate until Feb. 14, the rules state that if the government objects to an online post, Internet companies must provide information about the creator and sharers of the offensive content to government agencies within 72 hours. Nothing prevents the government from identifying individuals who may be posting information critical of the ruling party under the guise of an investigation. Modi’s government argues that the rules — proposed by India’s Information Technology ministry — are necessary to curb the spread of fake news and hate-inducing propaganda. There are indeed compelling reasons to filter out hate speech online, especially given how easily panic-inducing rumors on WhatsApp have ignited violence in parts of the country. And ahead of India’s national election this spring, all parties are concerned about trolls and bots using fake news to mislead voters. But giving the government more power to regulate the Internet, without procedural safeguards, isn’t the answer.