Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has moved the Bombay High Court against alleged AI-generated deepfake videos and social media posts that claim he and his family benefited financially from the Centre’s E20 ethanol blending programme.
The High Court has admitted Gadkari’s petition and will hear his plea for interim relief. He has sought an injunction to stop the circulation of the disputed content and directions for its immediate removal from social media platforms.
Gadkari names Meta and X in plea
The petition names Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and X as respondents.
According to the plea, multiple posts and videos circulating online falsely allege that Gadkari and his family gained financially from the government’s ethanol blending policy.
The minister has described the allegations as “completely baseless, false and defamatory”, arguing that they were created to mislead the public and tarnish his reputation.
Minister disputes link to E20 policy
In his petition, Gadkari has argued that the E20 ethanol blending programme falls under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, not the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
He contended that the content creates a false narrative by linking him to policy decisions and alleged private financial gains with which he has no connection.
Removal of content among key demands
Gadkari has urged the High Court to direct the immediate removal of the alleged deepfake videos and related posts.
He has also sought orders restraining further publication, sharing or amplification of the content, besides action against those responsible for creating and circulating the material.
What is the E20 programme?
The E20 fuel programme is part of the Centre’s energy transition strategy. E20 fuel contains 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.
The Centre has been pushing ethanol blending to cut crude oil imports, reduce vehicle emissions and boost the use of domestically produced biofuels.