Ethanol Row: Nagpur Police Book Influencers Over Defamatory Posts Targeting Nitin Gadkari

A police complaint against social media influencers has escalated the controversy over ethanol-blended fuel. Bharatiya Janata Party Nagpur city social media cell chief Shishir Tripathi filed the complaint over posts targeting Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, The Indian Express reported.

Based on the complaint, Nagpur Cyber Police registered a case under Sections 356 (defamation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 296 (obscene acts) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, the report said.

Tripathi alleged that several Instagram and YouTube accounts circulated misleading claims that ethanol-blended petrol damages vehicles while using abusive and defamatory language against Gadkari.

Influencers Named in Complaint

The complaint names several online accounts, including Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap. One of Kashyap's videos features an interview with a vehicle owner who claimed to have faced problems because of ethanol-blended fuel, the complaint stated, as per the report.

The complaint also cites videos carrying titles such as "Defender ho gayi kharab" and "Kya ab Rs 167 ka XP100 petrol bachayega aapki gaadi? Ethanol ke khel mein petrol itna mehenga kaise?". These posts claim that ethanol causes rusting and severe damage to vehicles.

Tripathi also named the administrator of the Instagram page "desi_boysncr". One of the videos questions Gadkari's role in promoting ethanol-blended fuel. The creator said introducing fuel was not the minister's job and that his focus should instead be on building roads. The complaint alleges the account also posted abusive content targeting Gadkari.

The complaint also names an Instagram account run by Harshit Rathee, alleging that it shared edited photographs of Gadkari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with derogatory and obscene captions. Tripathi alleged that the videos and posts contained false claims, abusive language and defamatory content intended to mislead the public and damage Gadkari's reputation.

Creators Defend Their Content

The administrator of the "desi_boysncr" page told Indian Express, "My vehicle was damaged because of ethanol. I made a detailed video about it, including footage at the petrol pump regarding the ethanol-blended fuel."

When asked about the FIR, he said, "I have not received any letter or legal notice so far."

Police stated that further investigation is underway.