Why Nitin Gadkari has finally had enough of E20 trolling

Central to his legal move is that he has been misrepresented as the creator-beneficiary of the E20 policy when it is being run by the petroleum and natural gas ministryNitin Gadkari has had enough. The Union road transport and highways minister has sought judicial intervention after months of facing numerous allegations, memes and social media campaigns against him and his family over the government’s ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) programme.The move marks a step up in the ongoing controversy over E20 fuel (20 per cent ethanol, rest petrol) that has turned into a political and social-media war targeting the minister.The Bombay High Court, on July 27, allowed Gadkari to file a civil suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google and unidentified individuals for alleged defamatory, manipulated and AI content on E20. A substantive suit is set for a hearing on August 5.Central to Gadkari's argument is that he has been misrepresented as the creator and main beneficiary of the E20 policy when, in fact, the EBP programme is being run by the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The petition has pointed out that his “personal and political reputation” had been tarnished by the circulation of AI-generated videos and deepfakes that try to suggest that he and his family had benefited from the E20 policy. The same is being seen more and more in Parliament during the current monsoon session. The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has already responded to about 15 parliamentary questions on various aspects of EBP whereas Gadkari's road transport and highways ministry has responded to just three queries, of which the majority related to the compatibility and safety of vehicles running on E20. One such reply by Gadkari's ministry says: “The government administers the ethanol blending programme in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.”The legal action by Gadkari is not so much intended to target individual social media users but to make digital platforms liable for carrying such content, an official familiar with the development told INDIA TODAY. “It is not possible to go around registering FIRs against people. However, social media platforms can take proactive steps to put an end to such defamatory and derogatory content. The Information Technology Act has provisions,” the official said.The litigation comes after nearly a year of mounting political attacks and online campaigns against the EBP programme, which made E20 the default petrol to be sold across India from April 2026. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have time and again claimed conflict of interest as Gadkari's sons are linked to ethanol-producing firms. Congress leaders have raised doubts over the fast expansion of such businesses and remarked that the minister's “overt advocacy” of ethanol gave a “bad impression” amidst the government's “accelerated ethanol blending programme”.Gadkari has steadfastly refuted the allegations. In multiple public utterances over the past year, he has insisted that the process of purchasing ethanol and setting the ethanol price and ethanol blending targets was in the hands of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and the Union cabinet’s approval, and that he has no role in awarding ethanol contracts or determining the EBP policy. He has pointed out that his family's ethanol production is a mere “drop in the bucket” compared to the total volume of ethanol produced in the country, and accused his critics of running a “paid campaign”.The controversy has been steadily gaining traction online under the tagline ‘E20 Hatao’. A new online campaign, dubbed the ‘E20 Janta Party’—presumably fashioned on the now-popular Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)—has called for consumers to be allowed to buy 100 per cent petrol as an alternative to E20. The demands are consumer choice, fuel-labelling transparency and independent review of the EBP policy. However, the campaign has increasingly been personalised around Gadkari as the alleged frontman of the programme.In his petition, Gadkari claims these materials are fabricated and defamatory and intended to rouse public opinion against him by falsely suggesting that he is motivated by money.The online campaign is now threatening to spill onto the streets, especially after the successful protests by the CJP at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Taxi and Tour Operators Association has demanded restoration of availability of non-blended petrol, transparency in fuel-labelling and an independent scientific review of E20, besides calling for a march to Parliament. While most taxis in Delhi run on CNG (compressed natural gas), the association mainly comprises operators of tourist taxis with All India Tourist Permits. Their vehicles still run on petrol and diesel on interstate routes.Gadkari's move seeks to make the big tech platforms accountable. By naming Meta, X and Google, the minister has de facto asked the court to look into the role of these platforms in preventing the spread of AI-generated fake and defamatory material. The petition states that the EBP programme, which is part of a government initiative to reduce crude oil imports and promote flex-fuel vehicles and ethanol, is the job of the petroleum and natural gas ministry, even though Gadkari has been a big evangelist of ethanol and other alternative fuels.The ministry of road transport and highways has reiterated in its latest reply in Parliament that studies conducted by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) revealed that no change is required in vehicle engines and that there is no significant difference in the performance of legacy vehicles operating on E20 except for possible replacement of some rubber parts in certain older BS-III vehicles during normal servicing. Gadkari’s court move is an indicator that he is not ready to take the online attacks as political par for the course. Not anymore, at any rate.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Shyam BalasubramanianPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 18:51 IST