Govt wants to make sedition law more 'draconian': Cong
June 02, 2023 19:12
With the law commission backing the sedition law, the Congress on Friday accused the BJP government of planning to make it more "draconian" and giving a message ahead of the general elections that it will be used against opposition leaders.
Alleging that the BJP uses the sedition law as a tool of "subversing, subjugating, and silencing dissent", the opposition party also asked why the government has not yet had the courage to do away with the law despite the apex court rendering it inoperative and making strong observations in that regard.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "A message of colonial mindset has been given that there will be a distance between the ruler and the ruled and through this law, the foundations of the republic will be uprooted. A message has been given ahead of the general election that we will use this in a one-sided manner particularly against opposition leaders."
The Congress' attack comes after the law commission backed the penal provision for the offence of sedition, saying repealing it altogether can have serious adverse ramifications for the security and integrity of the country.
The commission has recommended enhancing the jail term in sedition cases from a minimum of three years to seven years, contending that it would allow the courts greater room to award punishment in accordance with the scale and gravity of the act committed.
In a report on the 'Usage of the Law of Sedition', the Commission said its earlier report had termed the punishment for Section 124A (law of sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) "very odd" as it has provisions for either life imprisonment or a three-year jail term, but nothing in between. The minimum punishment under the sedition law is paying fine.
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code dealing with sedition is at present under abeyance following directions of the Supreme Court issued in May, 2022.
Singhvi said in a terrible, tragic, and treacherous development, the law commission has recommended that Section 124A of the IPC should "not only be retained, but also made more harsh".
"The BJP government now plans to become more draconian, drastic, and deadly than the colonial regime," he said.
In an unpleasing development, the 22nd Law Commission of India has recommended that Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises sedition, should be retained in the statute book with certain and more "draconian changes", Singhvi said.
"In a nutshell, the law commission proposal makes the existing sedition law far more draconian, invasive and prejudicial by enhancing the lower end of the punishment from three to seven years," he said.
It ignores the spirit of the Supreme Court proceedings in May and October last year which had rendered the entire offense of sedition in the country inoperative and clearly intended it to be repealed, Singhvi alleged.
The Congress leader claimed that there was a "massive rise" in sedition cases since 2014 with an annual rise of 28 per cent in sedition cases for the period between 2014 and 2020, compared to the yearly average between 2010 and 2014. -- PTI
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