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'Great tool for govt since it doesn't like dissent, comedy...': Mahua Moitra on sedition law
The fiery Trinamool leader also slammed the government for claiming yesterday that it would provide reasonable use restrictions regarding usage of the law.
Senior Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra - a vocal critic of the sedition law - on Thursday claimed the government is 'not keen on revoking the draconian legislation'. Moitra told news agency PTI 'had the Centre been serious in reconsidering the law, it could have done it in the last eight years'. She said she suspected the government would 'bring in amendment' and not revoke the law.
"The government doesn't like dissent, comedy, free opposition, so obviously it is a great tool as the sedition law allowed authorities to arrest without a warrant," she said, adding, "if they wanted to get rid of the law, they could have used the term revoke. They could have done it in the last eight years".
She also expressed delight at the Supreme Court's interim order Wednesday, which put the 152-year-old colonial-era law on hold while emphasising the preservation of civil liberty of citizens. The court also said no fresh cases could be filed and those charged could approach the courts for relief.
After the court passed its order yesterday Mahua Moitra had tweeted 'victory' and called it a 'great day for democracy'. "The sedition law stands stayed. Kudos to the Supreme Court."
Mahua Moitra is one of the petitioners who approached the Supreme Court on this matter.
Today she told PTI: "This is a fantastic verdict. I am really happy. This is not my fight or your fight. This is the victory of Indian constitutional democracy. Any civilized society has no place for such a colonial-era sedition law which dates back to 1870 and was meant to throttle the voices of Indians."
The fiery Trinamool leader also slammed the government for claiming yesterday that it would provide reasonable use restrictions regarding usage of the law. "… these were already there… did not stop them from slapping sedition charges against Munawar Faruqui or arresting Siddique Kappan or others... there are 13,000 such cases in the country."
"It is not meant for an elected Indian government to muzzle the voices of the country's citizens today," she stressed, suggesting the government may have been 'using the term 'reconsider' because there is a chance to bring in an amendment' instead of revoking the law.
What is the sedition law?
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code defines sedition as - "Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India shall be punished…"
The punishment ranges from three years in jail to life imprisonment, with or without a fine.
Sedition is a cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence and police are authorised to make arrests without a warrant.
Over the recent years, experts debated the relevance of such a strict law in a democratic country like India. Some have also argued it is a tool that can be used by the government to suppress dissent.
(With agency inputs)
