According to the plea, the flagged content included posts relating to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, where he said that he has no desire for money and does not wish to get his photo published in a newspaper or has any urge to sit in an aeroplane, and that he was 17 years old when he was made Bhagwant Maan by the people.
However, the petitioner contended that such content formed part of legitimate journalistic reporting and did not amount to copyright infringement.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal noted that the petitioner has mentioned that the flagged content included posts relating to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
He mentioned that he has 4.5 lakh followers and his Facebook page has been blocked without issuing any notice or furnishing any reasons. He further added that he has been simply informed that action has been taken pursuant to notice from the government of India under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Journalist’s plea
The petitioner, represented by advocate Nikhil Ghai, claimed that he is engaged in independent digital journalism involving grassroots reporting, RTI-based investigations, governance accountability, and public-interest reporting.
Story continues below this ad
He added that his platforms had a substantial public reach, forming the primary source of dissemination of news, public engagement, and livelihood.
He further mentioned that he is running an independent digital platform based in Punjab under the name of “Maninderjeet Sidhu” and “LOK AWAZ T V”, and both pages “, Maninderjeet Sidhu” and “Lok Awaz T V”, operated through Facebook as well as YouTube and are engaged in grassroots and public interest journalism.
The petitioner was aggrieved by the abrupt removal of his Facebook page “Maninderjeet Sidhu” without notice and opportunity of hearing, and without any judicial determination, and therefore violated the principles of natural justice.
He stated in his plea that these actions of the authority and Meta are illegal as it seeks to curb the freedom of speech and expression, as well as freedom of the press by proscribing content on the basis of vague and subjective grounds.
Story continues below this ad
Removal of Lok Awaz TV page
It was alleged by the petitioner that the multiple posts of the Facebook page “Lok Awaz TV” were initially removed by Meta, by mentioning that they infringed copyright in January 2026, and later the page was removed.
He sought the response from Meta and asked the court to direct them and inform the petitioner of the grounds and reasons on the basis of which his journalistic page was ordered to be removed.
He claimed that the removal of the Facebook page violated his fundamental rights protected under Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution and is also in the teeth of the mandate of the IT Rules.
Story continues below this ad
The petitioner alleged that the suspension of the page has serious implications for the freedom of the press, digital livelihood and public dissemination of information.
Facebook page of Maninderjeet Sidhu
It was further mentioned in the plea of the journalist that on March 20, 2026, he got to know that his Facebook page “Maninderjeet Sidhu” had also been removed, allegedly at the request of the state.
He further added that this Facebook page of “Maninderjeet Sidhu” was also engaged in various forms of journalistic activity, including ground reporting, coverage of local issues, public concerns, and regional developments, direct field-based journalism, and ensuring authentic reporting.
The petitioner claimed that he does not know why the state has asked Meta to remove this page and claimed that such action is a direct dent of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression as well as freedom to practice any profession.
Story continues below this ad
The independent journalist added that he uploads news content on its accounts on an hourly basis and derives value from being viewed and shared for its hour-to-hour coverage of news and current affairs. He added that the removal of his account, even for a few hours, causes significant financial and reputational damage to its viewership and credibility.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal noted that the petitioner has mentioned that the flagged content included posts relating to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
