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An explainer on why Nitin Gadkari has sued Meta, X and Google over AI-generated E20 deepfakes, the ethanol blending programme's real numbers, and the growing street protests behind the legal battle.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has moved the Bombay High Court against Meta, X, Google and YouTube over deepfake videos and posts that falsely claim he and his family have personally profited from India's E20 ethanol blending programme. The court has granted him leave to file the civil suit, but the more revealing story is why the minister has been pushed to court in the first place, and what is fuelling the anger behind the E20 backlash he is now fighting on two fronts.

What is Gadkari alleging exactly?

According to Gadkari's petition, unidentified persons have circulated AI-generated deepfake videos and social media posts portraying him as personally responsible for the E20 programme, with some content further alleging that he and his family have financially benefited from it. The suit, filed under clause XII of the Letters Patent, names Meta, X Corp, Google, YouTube and unidentified 'John Doe'' entities as defendants, and also lists the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications. Justice Abhay Ahuja granted leave to file the suit after hearing submissions from Gadkari's counsel, Advocate Sandeep S. Ladda.

Central to Gadkari's argument is a jurisdictional correction - the plea states that the E20 ethanol blending programme is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, not the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which he heads. The petition calls the claims linking him and his family to E20 profits 'false, malicious and grossly defamatory,' and argues they are designed to create a misleading impression that he has misused public office for private gain.