The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will hear on May 10 a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the sedition law under Section 124A of the IPC. The top court will first hear the point of referring the cases to a larger bench of five or seven judges. The court has granted time till May 9 to the Centre to file a reply on pleas challenging the sedition law.
On Wednesday, the Centre had requested the Supreme Court to give it a week more to formalise its stand on petitions that have demanded that the penal provision of sedition in India be struck down.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli commenced hearing arguments on a batch of pleas against the sedition law and after sometime adjourned it to next Tuesday.
At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, sought a few more days’ time for filing the reply, saying the draft response made by lawyers awaits approval by competent authority as the issue is of extreme importance.
Secondly, some fresh matters have been served recently and the contents of those pleas also needed a response.
“List this matter on next Tuesday at 2 pm. The Solicitor General to file counter (affidavit) by Monday. No further adjournments (will be granted),” the CJI said.
{{/usCountry}}“List this matter on next Tuesday at 2 pm. The Solicitor General to file counter (affidavit) by Monday. No further adjournments (will be granted),” the CJI said.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, arguing on the matter, attorney general KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that the sedition law should not be stuck down but there is need of guidelines on this section. “What is permissible, what is impermissible and what can come under sedition need to be seen,” news agency ANI quoted the attorney general as saying.
“You have seen what is happening in the country, on Wednesday, someone was detained as they wanted Hanuman Chalisa to be recited, they have been released on bail,” Venugopal added.
On April 27, the bench had directed the central government to file the reply saying it would commence the final hearing in the matter on May 5 and would not entertain any request for adjournment.
Concerned over the enormous misuse of the penal law on sedition, the top court in July last year had asked the Centre why it was not repealing the provision used by the British to silence people like Mahatma Gandhi to suppress the freedom movement.
Agreeing to examine the pleas filed by the Editors Guild of India and former major general SG Vombatkere, challenging the Constitutionality of Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC, the apex court had said its main concern was the "misuse of law" leading to rise in the number of cases.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)