Centre takes U-turn on sedition law

New Delhi: Two days after defending the penal law on sedition before the Supreme Court, the Centre on Monday did a U-turn, saying that it has decided to reconsider the provisions of Section 124A, which deals with the offence of sedition.

The Union government in a new affidavit filed in the apex court said, "In the spirit of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence) and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Government of India has decided to re-examine and reconsider the provisions of Section 124A, Sedition law."

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Prime Minister has repeatedly said that one of India's strengths is the diverse thought streams that beautifully flourish in the country. "The Government of India, being fully cognizant of various views being expressed on the subject of sedition and also having considered the concerns of civil liberties and human rights, while committed to maintain and protect the sovereignty and integrity of this nation, has decided to re-examine and re-consider the provisions of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which can only be done before the competent forum," said the affidavit.

The Centre has also urged the court to wait for the review before deciding on the case based on a clutch of petitions filed by the Editors' Guild of India and others.

The MHA said the government has scrapped 1,500 outdated laws since 2014-15 and ended over 25,000 compliance burdens which were causing unnecessary hurdles to the people. The ministry said the top court may not invest time examining the validity of the Section 124A once again, rather wait for the exercise of reconsideration to be undertaken by the government before an appropriate forum where such reconsideration is constitutionally permitted.

What's Sedition?

Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organisation, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, established authority.

Though sedition may have the same ultimate effect as treason, it is generally limited to the offense of organising or encouraging opposition to the government that falls short of more dangerous offences constituting treason. Seditious words in writing are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interest of sedition.