Sedition Has No Room in Modern Democracies, Time for The Law to Be Repealed
The law has been misused and abused several times even though convictions are extremely rare.
Representative image. Photo: Reuters
Rights26/Jul/2021
I must begin this piece with my compliments to those who have filed the recent petition in the Supreme Court challenging the role of Section 124A of the IPC, a colonial law which made sedition a crime, in democratic India.
Sedition, it must be emphasised, is no simple crime. Whoever âbrings 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 with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.â This is a serious offence. And yet, the charge is treated lightly by the police and the prosecution.