The Union ministry of information and broadcasting has ordered 12 news outlets and independent journalists to comply with a Delhi court order to take down defamatory content against the Adani group.

The ministry on Tuesday night directed platforms such as Newslaundry, The Wire and HW News, journalists such as Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ajit Anjum and Ravish Kumar, and satirist Akash Banerjee to remove 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts.

The notice — copies of which were served to Meta and Google that own Instagram and YouTube, respectively — cites a recent court order in a civil suit titled Adani Enterprises Ltd vs Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Others.

A senior civil judge of the North West Delhi district court had on September 6 passed an ex parte order, directing the respondents to take down what the plaintiff had alleged to be defamatory content targeting its businesses. An ex parte order is passed without hearing the defence.

“Accordingly, you are directed to take appropriate action for compliance of the aforementioned Order, and submit the action taken to the Ministry within 36 hours of the issue of this communication,” the ministry said.

Barring Guha Thakurta, none of the other recipients of the notice is a party to the suit. The appeal of Guha Thakurta and other respondents in the suit is expected to be heard on Wednesday.

Guha Thakurta has done multiple stories on alleged malpractices by the group in India and abroad over the past decade. He quit as editor of the Economic and Political Weekly in 2017 after the journal withdrew his article accusing the group of tax evasion in collusion with the government. He is fighting seven defamation cases by the Adani group.

Ravish Kumar posted on X: “September 17 should be celebrated in India’s history as the ‘Adani Video Takedown’ Day. On the occasion of victory over YouTubers, the great Adani can also hold programs on their channels...”