The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, may bring a civil lawsuit against social media companies and others for disseminating false information claiming that he and his family are benefiting from the E20 project. On Monday, the Bombay High Court awarded Gadkari permission to bring a civil lawsuit against X, Google, Facebook and Instagram, which are controlled by Meta, as well as any unknown organizations or sites that are being used to disseminate “defamatory” content. Respondents in the case include the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The order comes after Gadkari pleaded that he and his family are connected to earnings from the Center’s E20 ethanol-blended petrol program through social media postings, deepfake images, and videos, among other things.
Gadkari has said that the effort is malicious, deceptive, and defamatory, with the intention of deceiving the public and damaging his reputation. Gadkari emphasized in his appeal that the accusations are untrue because the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, not the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, is in charge of the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, which includes the E20 project.
Gadkari has denied any involvement in the creation, execution, or management of the E20 policy, hence the accusations against him are unfounded.
According to Gadkari, AI-generated deepfake films, edited recordings, and associated postings that falsely link him and his family to the E20 program should be removed from social media platforms immediately.
Gadkari has requested that persons in charge of producing, disseminating, and distributing the purportedly defamatory content on digital media be held accountable.
Additionally, the petition asks for restrictions on the publication and distribution of such content going forward.
Gadkari’s request for interim relief will be taken into consideration in the next round of the proceedings, but the Bombay High Court has allowed him to start the civil litigation.
One of India’s major energy programs is the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, which aims to increase the use of locally generated renewable fuel, benefit farmers, and improve energy security.
Also Read – Gadkari Approaches Bombay HC Against Deepfakes, Posts Alleging E20 Profiteering