The Bombay High Court has stepped in to protect Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari from allegedly defamatory AI-generated videos and manipulated online posts connected to the ethanol-blended fuel debate.
On Wednesday, the court granted interim relief to Gadkari in his defamation suit and directed platforms including Meta, Google LLC and others to remove posts that have been flagged by the minister’s team. The court also ordered that any similar content being shared again must be taken down after it is brought to the platforms’ attention.
Justice Arif S Doctor, while hearing the matter, strongly criticised the nature of the content and said it was “absolutely vile, abusive and defamatory.”
He added, “I can only say that the same is absolutely vile, abusive and defamatory and such material should not have a place on a public platform which is accessed by all sections of society including the young.”
E20 Controversy: Gadkari Says He Was Wrongly Linked to Ethanol Policy
In his petition, Gadkari argued that several online users had falsely connected him with the government’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) and blamed him for decisions related to the policy.
The minister’s legal team pointed out that the EBP was introduced by the Centre in 2003 as a national initiative to gradually mix ethanol with petrol. The implementation of the 20 per cent ethanol blending target, known as E20, during 2025-26 is handled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Gadkari said that although he has served as Road Transport Minister since 2014, he has no role in making decisions related to the E20 policy.
Court Warns Against Misuse of Digital Platforms
The minister claimed that unknown individuals created and circulated AI-generated deepfake videos and altered digital material that falsely portrayed him as personally responsible for the ethanol programme.
The court’s order requires social media and online platforms to act against such content when notified. It also stated that if the disputed material appears again, it must be removed. The case highlights growing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to create misleading videos and spread false claims about public figures.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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