The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notices to Meta Platforms and the Union government on a petition filed by National Conference Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi challenging the suspension of his Facebook page.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed Meta Platforms along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to submit their responses. The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 30, declining to grant any immediate interim relief without first hearing the respondents.
Meta Cites Law Enforcement Directive
During the hearing, legal counsel representing Meta Platforms told the court that the parliamentarian’s social media page had been taken down following a directive issued by a law enforcement agency. The platform requested time to place the relevant official records before the court.
Plea Contends Violation Of Due Process
The petition, filed through advocates Tamanna Pankaj and Archit Krishna, states that Mehdi, who is a Member of Parliament and a religious leader, has been locked out of his Facebook page titled ‘Ruhullah Mehdi’ since March under a notice issued pursuant to the Information Technology Act.
According to the plea, Meta enforced the restriction without giving Mehdi an opportunity to be heard or disclosing detailed grounds for the action. The plea further notes that Mehdi submitted a formal representation to Meta’s grievance redressal officer, but the company failed to provide a response within the mandatory 24-hour window.
Account Restriction Impairs Public Outreach
The petition argues that existing statutory frameworks permit the disabling of specific unlawful material through due process, but do not authorize blanket restrictions on entire profiles without identifying offending content or complying with the reasonable restrictions defined under Article 19(2) of the Constitution of India.
Mehdi contends that the continued restriction on the page—which serves as a primary vehicle for public outreach, political dialogue, and constituent engagement—severely restricts his fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression and hinders the execution of his parliamentary duties.
