The Supreme Court on Friday, May 8, 2026, issued notice to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Gujarat government on a petition by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) challenging the geo-blocking and suspension of its official Meta accounts in Gujarat. The AAP argued the action was arbitrary, unconstitutional and carried out without notice, violating its right to free speech under Article 19.

The party's Gujarat unit accounts @aapgujarat on Facebook and Instagram were blocked without disclosure of specific content or legal basis, senior advocate Shadan Farasat told the court. The AAP contended that blocking entire accounts amounts to prior restraint on speech and fails the constitutional test of proportionality under Article 19(2) and Section 69A of the IT Act.

The party asserted the accounts were used for political commentary, policy dissemination and welfare updates, and that silencing an opposition party undermines multi-party democracy. It alleged ongoing harassment of its workers in Gujarat, including arrests and obstruction of election campaigning.

The court will await the Union Government's response before scheduling further hearings on the matter.