The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has ordered the removal of 138 YouTube videos and 83 Instagram posts related to the Adani Group, following an ex parte court order issued by the North West Delhi district court on September 6, 2025. The takedown order is part of a defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises against journalists, activists, and media outlets for allegedly defamatory content.
The ministry directed compliance within 36 hours, citing failure to adhere to the court’s stipulated timeline. Content creators affected include prominent journalists like Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravish Kumar, and media platforms such as Newslaundry and The Wire. The ministry has also notified platforms Google and Meta to remove flagged content as per IT rules.
Court-Ordered Takedown and Ministry Actions
The court’s ex parte interim injunction ordered the removal of defamatory material from articles, social media posts, and videos that it deemed damaging to the reputation of the Adani Group. The I&B ministry served notices demanding the takedown of content within five days, but many flagged videos and posts remained online, prompting the ministry’s ultimatum for action within 36 hours.
The order extends to prominent digital news publishers, journalists, satirists, and large platforms, illustrating the government’s enforcement role in court-mandated content removal under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Controversies and Concerns Over Media Freedom
The defamation suit and subsequent takedown orders have raised debates over press freedom and corporate influence on media. The ex parte order means affected journalists and activists were not initially heard, leading to appeals challenging the removal demands. Many say their work pertains to public interest reporting and satire, not intentional defamation, emphasizing the risk of censorship.
The Editors Guild of India has expressed “deep concern” about the extension of executive powers that allow a private corporation to determine defamatory content potentially curtailing critical voices, important for democratic accountability.
