MIB orders removal of 221 social media posts on Adani following defamation suit

The court, while agreeing to protect AEL’s reputation, clarified that fair and accurate reporting of investigations and court proceedings would remain safeguarded

by e4m Staff
Published: Sep 18, 2025 4:31 PM | 2 min read

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed multiple journalists, digital media outlets, and content creators to take down videos and posts relating to Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). The action follows a gag order issued by a Delhi court 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. Newslaundry alone has been asked to pull down 42 videos, while content from Ravish Kumar, Dhruv Rathee, The Wire, HW News, Aakash Banerjee’s The Deshbhakt, and The News Minute also features on the list. The order extends beyond investigative reporting to satire, explainer videos, and even subscription appeals that incidentally displayed Adani-related coverage.

Among the flagged material are episodes of TV Newsance, discussions on the Adani takeover of NDTV, and interviews conducted by journalist Sreenivasan Jain with Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, where both acknowledged Gautam Adani’s role in a 2019 political meeting. An interview with comedian Kunal Kamra, where he joked about censorship, was also included.

The I&B Ministry flagged a September 6 interim injunction from a Rohini court directing journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair and others to delete alleged defamatory content against Adani Enterprises. Senior advocate Indira Jaising questioned why the ministry intervened when the order was meant for intermediaries like Meta and Google, calling it “pre-empting the judicial process.” Thakurta, facing multiple defamation cases from Adani since 2017, said he will challenge the order, reaffirming his faith in the judiciary and standing by his reporting.

Adani Enterprises, represented by senior advocate Jagdeep Sharma, argued that repeated circulation of “malicious” reports had harmed its brand equity and investor confidence, citing references to the 2023 Hindenburg Research report. The court, while agreeing to protect AEL’s reputation, clarified that fair and accurate reporting of investigations and court proceedings would remain safeguarded.

The publishers have been asked to comply within 36 hours of the ministry’s directive, and it's been more than 36 hours and there are still a few pages showing the Adani video.