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In his petiton, Gadkari alleged that misleading and defamatory content was published online linking him and his family to alleged financial gains from the Centre’s E20 policy.
File image of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Source: PTI)
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari permission to file a civil defamation case aginst digital platforms inlcuding Google, X, and Meta for alleged defamatory posts and deepfake content circulated on social media.
In his petiton, Gadkari alleged that false, misleading and defamatory content was published online linking him and his family to alleged financial gains from the Centre’s E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) policy.
The petition contended that the allegations are baseless as the ethanol-blending policy is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and not by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways headed by Gadkari.
It further stated that the social media posts and AI-generated deepfake content have tarnished the Union Minister’s reputation by falsely associating him and his family with the policy for personal benefit.
With the High Court’s green signal, Gadkari will now proceed with a civil defamation suit against Meta, X, Google and other concerned parties, seeking legal remedies over the alleged dissemination of defamatory and fabricated content.
The developmet came as India has significantly expanded its ethanol blending programme. India has progressively increased the proportion of ethanol in petrol over the past few years. The country achieved its target of 20 per cent ethanol blending (E20) ahead of schedule, making E20 petrol widely available across fuel stations.
Meanwhile, the rollout drew backlash as car owners reported a drop in the mileage of their vehicles. Sections of the automobile industry also voiced concerns, complaining about the blended fuel’s performance in older vehicles.
The Union Minister and the Centre have time and again defended E20 fuel, saying misinformation was being spread about ethanol-blended petrol and that vehicle faults should not automatically be blamed on ethanol.
Responding to concerns over E20 petrol, Gadkari said the government’s roadmap for shifting to alternative biofuels had been transparent from the beginning. “The public is well aware of the facts. The policy and roadmap for transitioning to alternative biofuels have been discussed transparently and communicated at every stage,” the Union Minister said.
He added that the ultimate objective of the policy is to achieve energy self-reliance and realise the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre…Read More
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