Akshay DidwaniyaNagpur Cyber Police filed FIR No. 0092/2026 against Manish Kashyap and other social media creators for allegedly posting fake, defamatory content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari over India’s E20 ethanol-blended petrol rollout even as AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal urged PM Modi to rethink the fuel policy for older vehicles.
Nagpur Cyber Police Book YouTubers for Defaming Gadkari
The Nagpur Cyber Police took decisive action registering a formal FIR against multiple social media account holders. They allegedly circulated fake, misleading, and defamatory content against Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The controversy revolves around the government’s ongoing rollout of ethanol-blended E20 fuel across India.
The complaint triggering this FIR was filed by Shishir Arun Tripathi convenor of the BJP Nagpur City Social Media Cell. He brought to the police’s attention a YouTube video uploaded on July 3, 2026, by popular content creator Manish Kashyap. The video allegedly carried false, fabricated, and defamatory statements targeting Gadkari and the E20 fuel programme with the deliberate intent to mislead ordinary citizens.
Other Accounts Named in the Complaint
The complaint did not stop at Manish Kashyap alone. Tripathi further alleged that similar misleading content was spreading rapidly through other YouTube and Instagram accounts including channels running under the names ‘Desi Boys’, ‘Harshit Rathi’, and ‘Anklesh Inwati’. All these accounts allegedly made what the complainant described as baseless and objectionable accusations against the Union Minister. The complaint also warned that such content carried serious potential to disturb public peace and generate widespread confusion among citizens.
FIR Registered Under Multiple Sections
After carefully examining the complaint and verifying the digital evidence submitted alongside it, the Nagpur Cyber Police formally registered FIR No. 0092/2026. The case was booked under Sections 356, 352, and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and also under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with publishing obscene or harmful material in electronic form.
Kejriwal Writes to PM Modi Over E20 Concerns
Meanwhile, the political temperature around E20 fuel kept rising from a different direction entirely. AAP National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal penned a formal letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to reconsider its aggressive E20 petrol rollout. His concern centred specifically on vehicles not originally engineered to handle ethanol-blended fuel.
In the letter, Kejriwal highlighted what he called a growing burden on everyday vehicle owners. He claimed the use of E20 petrol in older vehicles has directly caused reduced mileage, faster engine wear, and escalating financial pressure especially on owners of cars and two-wheelers manufactured before 2023. He demanded that every petrol station in India give consumers a clear choice between pure petrol and E20-blended fuel.
Kejriwal also pushed for a price reduction on E20 petrol. His argument the fuel’s lower calorific value delivers fewer kilometres per litre, so its price must reflect that reality.
Kejriwal at Press Conference: “This Government Won’t Listen Easily”
At a press conference held on Tuesday, Kejriwal took a sharper tone. He said directly “I have appealed to Prime Minister Modi to reduce the price of E20 fuel; since E20 yields lower mileage, its price should also be lower… I have also sought an appointment to meet him.”
He then turned to citizens actively encouraging those suffering problems from E20 petrol to document their experiences and post them openly on social media. He argued that without sustained public pressure, the government would not act fast enough.
“I want to tell everyone troubled by these issues to make videos and post them on social media, because this government will not listen to us so easily,” he said pointedly.
“They Are Patriots, Not Traitors” Kejriwal Defends Citizens
The AAP leader went further strongly defending ordinary citizens who have been raising their voices against E20 petrol. He pushed back against any attempt to paint these voices as anti-national or troublesome.
“All those who are raising concerns about E20 petrol are distressed by its impact. They are our fellow citizens. They are not traitors. They are patriots. It is wrong to abuse them in this manner. I want to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi that they should not be insulted like this. We live in a democracy. Listen to what they have to say. It is the government’s duty to hear their grievances and address them,” he said.
The FIR in Nagpur filed to protect Gadkari’s reputation and Kejriwal’s open letter to PM Modi filed to protect citizens’ pockets now sit side by side as the E20 debate grows louder and more politically charged by the day.
Aditya Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
