Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari can file a civil suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp. (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, several other entities, and unidentified individuals over AI-generated deepfake videos and other digitally manipulated content linked to the debate surrounding ethanol-blended fuel, a report by The Indian Express said.
The case is linked to videos and social media posts that allegedly connect Gadkari with the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme and the E20 initiative. Gadkari has said that he has no role in either of these programmes, which are handled exclusively by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Court allows Gadkari to file suit
Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed Gadkari, who was represented by advocate Sandeep S. Ladda, to file the civil suit in the Bombay High Court.
The court will hear Gadkari’s request for interim relief, including a temporary injunction, at a later date. The Union Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Telecommunications have also been named as respondents in the case.
In his plea, Gadkari made it clear that he was not trying to stop people from discussing or criticising government policies or his actions.
“The purpose and object of filing the suit is not to curtail or prevent the public at large from engaging in discussion, debate, analysis or fair, just and bona fide criticism of any decision taken by the plaintiff himself or by his office,” the plea said.
It further stated that Gadkari “does not seek to stifle or restrain fair criticism, dissent, debate or bona fide expression of opinion concerning his public life, governmental policies or official functions.”
Gadkari says deepfakes are false and defamatory
However, the suit argues that the content being circulated online is “ex facie false, fabricated, malicious, abusive and grossly defamatory”.
According to the plea, the AI-generated deepfake videos also amount to an unauthorised use of Gadkari’s personality and publicity rights without his permission.
The suit claims that unknown people circulated social media posts and AI-generated videos falsely showing Gadkari as being personally responsible for the EBP and E20 programmes. Some of the content also allegedly claimed that Gadkari and his family had made financial gains from these initiatives.
Gadkari has said these allegations are false and malicious. The suit claims that the content was created to give people the misleading impression that he had misused his public office for personal gain.
According to the plea, the circulation of such content has caused serious and irreparable damage to his reputation.
Plea seeks removal of online content
Gadkari’s suit seeks directions to the defendants to remove the allegedly defamatory content, disable access to it and stop its further circulation.
The case comes after the BJP’s Nagpur city social media cell chief filed a police complaint against several social media influencers and content creators. The complaint was related to posts that allegedly targeted Gadkari.