Bombay HC Orders Immediate Takedown Of Posts Against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said the posts uploaded on social media and online websites against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are "vile, abusive, obscene and defamatory" and ordered immediate takedown of such content.

Gadkari had filed a defamation suit claiming Rs 11 crore in damages against several parties, including Meta, X, Google, YouTube, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The petition was heard on the day by a single-judge bench comprising Justice Arif Doctor.

After hearing arguments from all sides, the High Court observed that, prima facie, there was merit in Gadkari's claim and that the content in question was "indeed objectionable". The court remarked that such public criticism of an individual on social media is inappropriate. Google and Meta expressed their willingness to voluntarily remove the objectionable content.

Consequently, the Court ordered the immediate removal of all such material from all social media platforms. It further directed that if similar content is circulated in the future, the petitioner may directly contact the companies to request its removal, and the companies would be obliged to act upon such requests.

The High Court emphasized that criticism should remain within reasonable limits and that crossing the boundaries is unacceptable. It also stated that if AI-generated deepfake content is not removed despite such requests, the petitioner retains the liberty to approach it again.

The High Court further observed that leading companies like Google and Meta should develop a mechanism to handle and promptly resolve such complaints, thereby sparing the affected individuals the need to repeatedly approach the Court.

The Court adjourned the hearing on the matter for four weeks. In his 86-page petition, Gadkari has asserted that he has no connection to the Central Government's E-20 scheme (involving the blending of ethanol with petrol). He alleged a malicious campaign is being run on social media holding him responsible for vehicle damage allegedly caused by the fuel.

He had filed the suit in the High Court against service providers—including Meta, X, Google, and YouTube—as well as certain unidentified social media users, in connection with the campaign. He had sought directions for the immediate removal of AI-generated deepfake videos, morphed photos, and memes currently circulating on social media, and has also claimed Rs 11 crore in damages.

In the petition filed through advocate Sandeep Ladda, Gadkari reiterated that he has no link to the E-20 scheme. He pointed out that the scheme is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and has no direct connection to the Ministry of Road Transport, which falls under his purview.

The ethanol blending program originated in 2003, when the Central Government decided to adopt a policy of blending ethanol with petrol. Over time, the scheme evolved, leading to the launch of E20, which mandates a 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol.

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