On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that sought directions for a scientific study on the claims made by Congress politician Navjot Singh Sidhu about his wife’s alleged recovery from Stage 4 cancer through a diet regimen and Ayurveda.

The PIL also called for the temporary removal of social media posts made by Sidhu on platforms X and Meta regarding the same matter.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that Sidhu was merely expressing his personal opinion, and his right to freedom of speech could not be restricted.

“He is just voicing his opinion. He has later on said he was advised by the doctors. It is his freedom of speech. You counter his claims by your free speech. We believe in freedom of speech in this country. This is not our domain,” Chief Justice Manmohan remarked.

The Court further remarked that if the petitioner disagreed with Sidhu's views, they were under no obligation to endorse them.

"There was a television serial against which PIL was filed claiming that children are getting affected. We said you close the TV and don't watch it,” said Chief Justice Manmohan.

“He (Sidhu) is not asking you to follow it. He is just saying this is what he did. Counsel, you file a PIL against the manufacturing of cigarette and alcohol instead. I’m sure you will agree that cannot be healthy at all," Justice Gedela said.