Manish Kashyap, 3 other influencers face FIR over defamatory E20 content on Gadkari
An FIR has been registered in Nagpur against four influencers, including YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly circulating false, misleading and defamatory content on social media
An FIR has been registered in Nagpur against four influencers, including YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly circulating false, misleading and defamatory content on social media to target Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari amid the growing debate around ethanol-blended fuel (E20) across the country. The case was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by Shishir Tripathi, the city president of the BJP Social Media Cell, at the Nagpur City Cyber Police Station.
Besides Kashyap, the others named in the FIR are: Instagram account Desi boys (desi_boysncr), and influencers Harshit Rathi and Anklesh Invate. Read Full Story According to the complaint, a YouTube video concerning ethanol-blended petrol uploaded by Kashyap on July 3 contained "misinformation" meant to sow public misunderstanding and tarnish Gadkari's reputation. The complainant accused the renowned Bihar-based YouTuber of disseminating false information using "interviews with members of the general public" in the video. In the complaint, Tripathi also claimed that the three other accused used obscene language against the Union Minister in their videos related to ethanol in order to disturb public order, spread false information and defame him.
The police have invoked Sections 356, 352, and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act against the accused. This comes as the BJP-led Centre's ethanol policy faces increasing backlash across the country. Gadkari has emerged as the most prominent face of the E20 push. He has faced growing criticism from opponents of the policy amid widespread concerns that the blended motor fuel could damage engines and reduce mileage and is particularly detrimental to older cars.
The government defends E20 by arguing that it helps cut reliance on oil imports and also reduces carbon dioxide emissions while augmenting the income of farmers through increased demand for crops like sugarcane. Ends
The BriefWire