'Freedom of Speech Cannot Be Used To Run Paid Character Assassination Campaign': Raghav Chadha's Counsel Welcomes Court Order

New Delhi: The counsel for BJP MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday welcomed a Delhi High Court directive to remove social media posts that accused him of “selling himself for money,” describing the order as a significant check on paid and coordinated online defamation campaigns.

In a statement, advocates Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe said the interim order by Justice Subramonium Prasad reinforces that freedom of speech cannot be misused to orchestrate character assassination.

“The order is a welcome step as it directed takedown of defamatory content against Mr Chadha, thereby protecting individuals from organised defamatory content on social media,” they said.

The lawyers alleged that a professionally managed campaign involving multiple influencer marketing agencies had flooded social media with coordinated posts. Material presented in court reportedly showed that defamatory content was amplified across numerous accounts and influencers within minutes, pointing to a concerted effort to damage Chadha’s reputation.

“This order is an important step towards ensuring quick action against organised online defamation and protecting the dignity of public discourse,” the statement added.

Chadha had approached the High Court seeking urgent relief against what he described as malicious posts and AI-manipulated visuals that falsely suggested he had switched political loyalties for financial gain. Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Chadha, argued that the material went well beyond legitimate political criticism and constituted a targeted attack on his personal character.

The court agreed that the content crossed the line into defamation and ordered its removal from the relevant platforms. However, it clarified that the proceedings did not centre on personality rights, with detailed reasons expected in the full order.

The case also underscores concerns over the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated media to mislead the public. Chadha’s petition highlighted how such technology was allegedly deployed to harm his image.

This ruling comes amid a rising number of cases before the Delhi High Court involving the misuse of artificial intelligence to create unauthorised deepfakes or digitally altered content featuring public figures. In previous matters, the court has extended protection against the unauthorised use of celebrities’ names, voices, and likenesses.

(With inputs from ANI)