Maharashtra govt informs Bombay High Court that it has withdrawn its controversial circular on sedition law. On Saturday, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the controversial order on sedition charges will be scrapped as early as possible. "We are scrapping the controversial circular. We do not require it. We will inform the Bombay high court accordingly."


In response to a petition filed by cartoonist Aseem Trivedi and a public interest litigation by Narendra Sharma, a division bench of the Bombay high court had, on September 23, restrained the state government from acting on the August 27 circular, which gave enormous powers to law-enforcement agencies. Trivedi's contention was that the circular was unconstitutional and violated an individual's fundamental rights.

Cartoonist Trivedi was arrested on September 8, 2012, under Section of 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code on allegations that his cartoon on a website was against the National Anthem and Parliament. Law-enforcement agencies had said the cartoon's contents attracted provisions of Section 124A.


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