HC allows Gadkari to sue Meta, X, Google over ‘defamatory’ E20 posts

The Union minister has alleged that the posts falsely claimed he was responsible for implementing the EBP and that he and his family have financially benefited from it

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed Union minister Nitin Gadkari to file a civil defamation suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google LLC and other social media platforms over posts and AI-generated deepfake videos that allegedly falsely linked him and his family members to India’s ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) programme.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has alleged that the posts falsely claimed he was responsible for implementing the ethanol-blending programme and that he and his family have financially benefited from it. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Gadkari, the Union minister for road transport and highways, has alleged that the posts falsely claimed he was responsible for implementing the EBP and that he and his family have financially benefited from it.

A single-judge bench of justice Abhay Ahuja granted Gadkari permission to file the suit, enabling him to seek interim relief, including a temporary injunction against the allegedly defamatory content. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had approached the court by way of a leave petition, seeking permission to file the suit because some of the defendants are based outside the Bombay High Court’s territorial jurisdiction.

According to Gadkari’s petition, filed through advocate Sandeep S Ladda, the social media posts falsely suggest that he and his family received undue financial benefits from the ethanol-blending programme, “insinuating corruption, nepotism, conflict of interest, abuse of official position, misuse of governmental authority and other acts of impropriety.”

The minister has argued that the content is ex facie false, fabricated, baseless, malicious, misleading, unsubstantiated and devoid of any factual foundation.

“It contains abusive and derogatory language, scandalous remarks, false accusations and manipulated audio-visual material intended to falsely attribute statements and conduct to the plaintiff,” Gadkari’s petition states. It adds that the “defamatory content consists of profane, vulgar and abusive language” directed at him, while seeking ₹11 crore in damages.

The case comes amid a growing backlash on social media over the central government’s ethanol-blended petrol programme. Introduced in 2014 to reduce crude oil imports, the programme was accelerated from 2021, with ethanol produced from sugarcane, rice and maize being blended with petrol. India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending (E20) five years ahead of its original 2030 deadline.

Motorists have complained that E20 fuel is reducing mileage and causing engine corrosion in older, non-compliant vehicles. Gadkari and the central government have rejected such claims, dismissing them as social media misinformation.

The controversy has also drawn attention to businesses run by Gadkari’s sons, Nikhil and Sarang Gadkari, who entered the ethanol production sector after the central government expanded the blending programme. Gadkari has maintained that their companies account for only a negligible share of India’s ethanol production.

Gadkari approached the high court after BJP’s Nagpur social media cell convener, Shishir Arun Tripathi, lodged a police complaint last month over videos and posts circulating “baseless and objectionable claims” about the Union minister and E20 fuel that could “mislead the public, confuse citizens and disturb peace”.