Opposition parties on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to put on hold the colonial-era sedition law, saying that the voice of truth could not be suppressed and the draconian law should be scrapped to uphold free speech in the country.
While the Congress said the top court’s order sent a clear message that “you can no longer suppress the voice of truth”, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre over its “gross abuse of the law”.
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“Telling the truth is patriotism, not treason”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. “Listening to the truth is one’s duty. Crushing the truth is arrogance. Don’t be afraid,” he added.
Putting on hold the sedition law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the registration of FIRs, ongoing probes and coercive measures on the matter across the country until an “appropriate forum” of the government re-examines the colonial-era penal law.
“SC once again played a historic role...” Trinamool Congress (TMC) national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Ray tweeted.
The Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said speaking truth to power cannot be sedition for it is “true nationalism and the true test” of how committed one is to the country and to the people.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said speaking truth to power cannot be sedition for it is “true nationalism and the true test” of how committed one is to the country and to the people.
{{/usCountry}}“Supreme Court has finally spoken in a historical verdict by staying the sedition law. A clear cut message has gone today to suppressors and subjugators of public opinion, of dissent, of everyone who criticises the autocratic and dictatorial rulers and their policies, that you can no longer suppress the voice of truth, dissent, those critical of government must be heard and course corrections need to be done,” Surjewala said in a statement.
The Congress had promised this in its 2019 manifesto, the Supreme Court has finally spoken and the Constitution will be upheld and the voice of truth and those speaking truth to power will finally have their way, Surjewala said.
Noting that there was a need to balance the interest of civil liberties and interests of citizens with those of the state, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Wednesday listed the matter in the third week of July and said its directions shall continue till further orders.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra, one of the petitioners who sought scrapping of the law, said it was a “great day for democracy”.
Sharing a copy of the court order, she tweeted: “Victory! Supreme Court stays Sec 124A- no new cases can be filed, existing cases can apply for bail & release immediately. Thank you to my lawyer Sr. Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayan for his 1 pager which swung the day!”
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said his party had always opposed the law. “It (sedition law) is anachronistic, brought in by the British to crush our freedom struggle and it has no place in the statute book in independent India. It is good that the Supreme Court, hearing this case, has now ordered that this section must be kept in abeyance, stayed all pending proceedings, and directed the central and state governments not to register new cases,” he said.
The Centre’s decision to review the law is specious as it has been grossly misusing the same to harass all forms of dissent, Yechury said. “Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came into office in 2014, at least 326 people have been arrested under the law and only six of them were convicted by the courts. This is gross abuse of the law that is happening under the Modi government. The sedition law should be scrapped. We hope the Supreme Court does this when it resumes the hearing in July,” he added.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and alleged that the BJP was using it to suppress those raising voice against its government.
Former law minister Ashwani Kumar also welcomed the “historic order” of the top court, and urged the Centre and states to refrain from registering any FIRs under it. He said the interim order is not only right but is also in accordance with the sensitivity of the nation.
“Right order has been given in the face of the blatant and brazen abuse of the colonial-era law. The only way forward is to keep operation and the implementation of the law in abeyance till the government completes the review process,” Kumar told news agency ANI.