The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition challenging Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s public statements about natural remedies aiding his wife’s recovery from stage 4 cancer, citing the fundamental right to freedom of speech. Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela presided over the case, emphasizing that Sidhu was merely expressing his opinion, which did not warrant judicial intervention.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former cricketer turned politician, had announced at a press conference in Amritsar on November 21 that his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was declared cancer-free, attributing her recovery to specific dietary and lifestyle changes. Sidhu detailed that her diet included lemon water, raw turmeric, apple cider vinegar, and various fruits and vegetables, which he believed contributed to her health.
The court responded to the petitioner, who questioned the veracity of Sidhu’s claims and sought to restrain the dissemination of the videos, by affirming that disagreements should be addressed through discourse, not legal suppression. “Counter free speech by free speech and not by curtailing his free speech under the fear of legal action or contempt. We still have freedom of speech in this country,” the bench stated, encouraging the petitioner to engage in open dialogue if he disagreed with Sidhu’s views.
The controversy deepened when Dr. C S Pramesh, director of Tata Memorial Hospital, criticized Sidhu’s claims as unscientific. On social media, Dr. Pramesh underscored that it was conventional medical treatments like surgery and chemotherapy that cured Mrs. Sidhu, not the dietary regimen her husband described. He warned the public against believing in simplistic cures for complex diseases, stressing the importance of evidence-based medical practices.
As the petitioner withdrew the complaint, Justice Gedela remarked on the broader implications of public health advocacy, suggesting that if the petitioner was genuinely interested in protecting public health, efforts might be better directed towards campaigning against proven health risks like cigarettes and alcohol.
