Bombay High Court has directed Meta and X to immediately remove objectionable social media posts targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The court also asked the platforms to provide details of the users who uploaded the content and said similar posts should be taken down in future if brought to its notice.
Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered Meta and X to remove allegedly defamatory posts against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and his family. The court also sought information about the users behind the posts after Gadkari approached the court over claims linking him and his family to financial gains from India’s E20 ethanol blending programme. The next stage of the legal process will continue as the platforms respond to the court’s directions.
Bombay High Court Directs Platforms to Remove Posts Without Delay
The Bombay High Court said social media platforms must act quickly when objectionable content is brought to their notice. During the hearing, the court instructed Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and X to immediately remove the posts identified by Gadkari.
The court further observed that if similar content is reported by the minister in future, the platforms should also remove those posts without delay.
Justice Arif Doctor, who heard the matter, questioned whether technology companies had systems in place to detect and remove defamatory content without waiting for court orders. He said companies with advanced technology should be able to respond promptly to such complaints.
Bombay High Court Questions Existing Moderation Systems
During the hearing, the court asked Meta and Google whether they had effective mechanisms to identify and remove harmful or abusive content on their own.
Justice Doctor observed that social media companies should proactively deal with clearly defamatory or offensive material. He remarked that platforms already use technology to detect other forms of harmful content and should have similar systems for such cases.
Lawyers representing Meta and X were present during the hearing.
Gadkari Moves Court Over Social Media Claims
Gadkari filed the petition before the Bombay High Court on July 27, alleging that several social media users had posted defamatory comments, memes and misleading content against him and his family.
According to the petition, the online posts falsely claimed that Gadkari and his family had earned financial benefits from the government’s E20 ethanol blending policy. The minister argued that these allegations were baseless and had damaged his public image.
The High Court also allowed Gadkari to pursue a civil case against unknown individuals responsible for creating and sharing the disputed content, along with legal action against the concerned social media platforms.
Why Gadkari Was Linked to the E20 Programme
The controversy centres on India’s E20 ethanol blending programme, which aims to increase the use of ethanol-blended petrol to reduce crude oil imports and promote cleaner fuel.
As Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari has consistently supported the use of alternative fuels, including ethanol produced from agricultural products. He has also promoted flex-fuel vehicles as part of India’s long-term energy strategy.
Following these public campaigns, misleading claims circulated on social media alleging that Gadkari and his family had made large financial gains from ethanol production and the E20 policy. The petition argues that these claims are false and unsupported by evidence.
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