Union tells top court it'll reconsider and re-examine sedition law

09-05-2022

In its affidavit, the Centre asked the highest court to await the result of the government's exercise and not proceed with hearing the petitions before it.

The Central government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it had decided to reconsider and re-examine the sedition law or Section 124A of the Indian legal code (IPC). In its affidavit, the Centre asked the apex court to await the end result of the government's exercise and not proceed with hearing the petitions before it. 

It said a competent forum would consider the matter very seriously 

According to reports, the Centre, in its affidavit, further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed clear and unequivocal views in favour of protection of civil liberties, respect for human rights and believed that outdated colonial laws had no place in India, celebrating 75th year of Independence.

Last week, the Centre had defended within the Supreme Court the British-era penal law on sedition

Therefore the 1962 verdict of a constitution bench upholding its validity, stating they'd withstood "the test of time" for about six decades and also the instances of its abuse would never be a justification of reconsideration.

The top court, in 1962, had upheld the validity of the sedition law while attempting to limit its scope for misuse.