New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed multiple digital media outlets, journalists, and content creators to remove 221 social media posts related to Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). The move follows a Delhi court’s interim injunction issued earlier this month in a defamation suit filed by the company.
According to the notice dated September 16, 2025, the ministry flagged 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts containing allegedly defamatory content. Platforms and publishers asked to comply include Newslaundry (with 42 videos flagged), The Wire, HW News, The News Minute, and creators like Dhruv Rathee, Aakash Banerjee, and Ravish Kumar. The flagged content spans investigative reports, explainers, satire, and even subscription appeals referencing Adani coverage.
Among the listed materials are episodes of TV Newsance, discussions about Adani’s NDTV acquisition, and interviews by Sreenivasan Jain with Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar referencing Gautam Adani’s political role. Even a comedy interview with Kunal Kamra discussing censorship was flagged.
The MIB cited a September 6 order from the Rohini Court, which directed journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, and others to delete allegedly defamatory content. However, senior advocate Indira Jaising questioned the ministry’s intervention, arguing that the court order was directed at intermediaries like Meta and Google, not the government.
Adani Enterprises, represented by senior advocate Jagdeep Sharma, claimed that repeated circulation of “malicious” reports had harmed its brand equity and investor confidence, citing references to the 2023 Hindenburg Research report.
The court agreed that AEL’s reputation deserved protection but clarified that “fair and accurate reporting” of investigations and judicial proceedings would remain safeguarded. Publishers were instructed to comply within 36 hours, though as of press time, several flagged posts and videos remain online.
Legal experts say the case underscores the tension between defamation law and press freedom, while the MIB maintains it is acting strictly within judicial bounds.
