Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had remarked that this provision is objectionable and the sooner we get rid of sedition, the better,’ Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, responding to Congress leader and senior counsel Kapil Sibal’s argument in court.
The discussion occurred when a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana heard petitions challenging the sedition statute brought by the Editors’ Guild of India, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, and others.
“You are right, Sir. Nehru could not lie in court, spy on countrymen, arrest innocents, lock up dissenters with no due process. The list is a long one,” Mahua Moitra tweeted replying to Mehta’s comment inside the court.
During the courtroom discussion, Kapil Sibal responded to Solicitor General Mehta’s remark by saying, “Certainly not. That isn’t what you are doing. You’re in favor of the legislation. Mr Mehta, you say everything is well.” “It is impossible to manufacture affection. So long as there is no solicitation to violence, it is acceptable to express dissatisfaction. Being dissatisfied with the government is a virtue in my view “Sibal expressed his thoughts.
Finally, the Supreme Court asked the Centre’s position on deferring the current sedition proceedings until the statute is re-examined, as the Centre stated in its affidavit. The Centre had previously stated that it had resolved to have the sedition statute “re-examined and reconsidered” by a “appropriate venue.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested that the archaic sedition statute be repealed, according to Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju. Sedition is a non-bailable offense under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.
