By CPJ Staff
Copyright cpj
New Delhi, September 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by a directive from Indian authorities ordering the removal of dozens of allegedly defamatory media items about Adani Enterprises and calls on the government to stop censoring legitimate reporting on powerful business interests.
On September 16, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the removal of 138 YouTube videos and 83 Instagram posts, including content from independent news outlets and commentators, citing a New Delhi court order that barred “unverified, unsubstantiated and ex-facie defamatory” reports about Adani, one of India’s largest conglomerates.
“The government’s takedown is nothing less than an attempt to silence legitimate reporting and commentary on Adani Enterprises and sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom in India,” said Kunal Majumder, CPJ’s India representative. “Any content removal orders must be applied in a transparent manner and follow due process, so independent reporting is not undermined.”
The government directive follows a September 6 ex-parte injunction issued by a civil court in New Delhi. Ex-parte orders are temporary and granted without hearing the opposing party, typically in urgent cases where immediate action is considered necessary to prevent serious or irreparable harm.
The order restrained 10 defendants, including independent journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskanta Das, and Ayush Joshi, from publishing allegedly defamatory content about Adani. It also included a “John Doe” clause, allowing the multinational company to extend its defamation claims beyond the defendants initially named in the case. Adani can provide website URLs of allegedly defamatory material to intermediaries like social platforms and government agencies, which must remove the content within 36 hours.
Although not named by Adani in the defamation case, independent news outlets such as The Wire, Newslaundry, and The DeshBhakt, as well as several prominent commentators on YouTube, were ordered by the government to take down content. A copy of the ministry’s directive was sent to Meta and Google.
Officials at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Adani Enterprises did not immediately respond to CPJ’s email requesting comment.
