Judiciary Greenlights Gadkari Lawsuit Against Tech Giants Over Ethanol Policy Claims
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has received judicial clearance to sue Meta, Google, and X for defamation. The litigation targets deepfake content and social media posts alleging financial impropriety regarding India's ethanol blending program.
Legal Gateway Opened for Rs 11 Crore Defamation Action
Justice Abhay Ahuja of the Bombay High Court issued a ruling on July 27, 2026, granting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari permission to file a substantive civil suit against global technology firms Meta, Google, and X. The decision, made under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, was required because portions of the legal cause of action occurred outside the court's immediate territorial jurisdiction. Mr. Gadkari seeks Rs 11 crore in damages and the immediate scrubbing of specific digital content from the internet.
Disputed Links to National Ethanol Policy
The core of the legal challenge involves at least 24 social media posts that Gadkari characterizes as false and fabricated. These posts allegedly link the Minister for Road Transport and Highways to the Centre’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) in a manner suggesting financial misconduct. While the EBP has existed since 2003 and reached a 20% blending milestone (E20) during the 2025-2026 period, Gadkari asserts he has no role in its policy formulation. Key points of the Minister's rejection of the online claims include:
- Historical oversight of the EBP rests with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, not the Road Transport Ministry.
- Allegations of nepotism and personal pecuniary benefits for Gadkari's family are dismissed as baseless and malicious.
- The minister argues the content constitutes an abuse of official position through fabricated narratives rather than legitimate public criticism.
Upcoming Judicial Review and Supreme Court Interest
While the Bombay High Court has cleared the procedural path for the suit, Mr. Gadkari has also signaled his intent to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court. The upcoming civil suit is slated for hearing before Justice Arif Doctor once the detailed order from Justice Ahuja is finalized. The legal filings emphasize that the Minister does not seek to stifle fair criticism or public debate regarding his official functions, but rather to target what he describes as a coordinated effort to insinuate corruption via deepfake or misleading digital media.
Source: The Hindu — Home
