Mumbai : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has moved the Bombay High Court against allegedly defamatory posts and deepfake content linking him and his family to financial gains from the Centre’s E20 ethanol programme. Gadkari, a key proponent of the government’s ethanol blending initiative, filed a leave petition under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, which allows the Bombay High Court to hear civil suits when part of the cause of action arises within its territorial jurisdiction, even if other aspects of the dispute extend beyond it.
The matter came up before Justice Abhay Ahuja, where advocate Sandeep S. Ladda, appearing for Gadkari, argued that the disputed posts and videos were accessible in Mumbai and intended for audiences there, thereby establishing a substantial part of the cause of action within the court’s jurisdiction. In the proposed suit, Gadkari contends that the defamatory posts and AI-generated deepfake content falsely portray him and his family as beneficiaries of the E20 ethanol programme, even though the ethanol blending policy is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Following the court’s order, Gadkari is now expected to file the substantive civil suit on the original side of the Bombay High Court against Meta, other social media platforms, and unidentified “John Doe” defendants accused of publishing, hosting or facilitating the circulation of the allegedly defamatory material.
The development comes amid criticism of the E20 policy, which holds provision for 20% ethanol to be blended in petrol in order to curb fuel imports and lower vehicle emissions. However, several vehicle owners have flagged concerns with its usage, especially in the older vehicle models. However, Gadkari has always backed the ethanol-blending programme. Earlier this month, he even threw a big challenge to critics, asking them to name one single car that had suffered problems because of the fuel.
Read Also : Bihar Protest: Police Personnel Face Action For Firing AK-47 During Siwan Student Protest