The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered two media houses and multiple YouTube channels to remove more than 138 videos and 83 Instagram posts that mention the Adani Group, following a court directive in a defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises.
The ministry’s notices, issued on Tuesday, were based on an ex parte order of the North West Delhi district court on 6 September. The injunction, passed in Adani Enterprises vs Paranjay Guha Thakurta & Ors, restrains journalists, media organisations and unnamed individuals from publishing or circulating content that the company terms “unverified, unsubstantiated and defamatory.”
The order allows the company to keep flagging links and URLs it finds objectionable, which intermediaries and government agencies must remove within 36 hours.
Editors Guild Calls Ruling ‘Troubling’
In a worded statement, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) described the ruling as “troubling in both scope and implication.” The Guild said such blanket authority places censorship powers in private hands, bypassing due legal process.
Statement on Delhi Court’s Adani Takedown Order pic.twitter.com/3oXFiEnOxv
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) September 17, 2025
“The subsequent action by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, directing platforms like YouTube and Instagram to take down flagged content, has effectively given a private entity executive authority to decide what constitutes defamatory material,” the Guild warned.
It added that such measures could silence legitimate journalistic inquiry and chill commentary, satire, and investigative reporting. “These steps undermine the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression,” the Guild said, cautioning against the use of prior restraint in defamation cases.
The Guild urged the judiciary to ensure that defamation claims are dealt with through due legal scrutiny rather than sweeping takedown orders. It also called on the government to avoid acting as “an enforcement arm for private litigants in civil disputes.”
“A free and fearless press is indispensable to democracy. Any system that allows private interests to unilaterally silence critical or uncomfortable voices poses a serious risk to the public’s right to know,” the statement concluded.
