Centre tells Supreme Court it'll reconsider and re-examine sedition law

In its affidavit, the Centre asked the top court to await the outcome 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 Penal Code (IPC). In its affidavit, the Centre asked the apex court to await the outcome of the government's exercise and not proceed with hearing the petitions before it. It said a competent forum would look into the

During a July 2021 hearing, the Supreme Court had rued the “enormous power of misuse” of the sedition law in India (HT Photo)

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clear and unequivocal views in favour of protection of civil liberties, respect for human rights and believed that outdated colonial laws had no place in India, celebrating 75th year of Independence.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 in the Supreme Court the British-era penal law on sedition and the 1962 verdict of a constitution bench upholding its validity, stating they had withstood "the test of time" for about six decades and 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 restrict its scope for misuse.

(With inputs from bureau and agencies)