Centre Defends Sedition Law, Says Past Judgment By Supreme Court Binding
NDTV
"A constitutional bench has already examined all aspects of sedition law in context of fundamental rights," the Centre said in its statement.
The Centre today defended the sedition law and asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the pleas challenging it. The court is hearing a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the colonial-era law.
In a written submission, the Centre told the three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice NV Ramana, that the verdict in the Kedarnath Singh vs State of Bihar upholding sedition law is binding. It also said that a three-judge bench cannot examine the validity of the law. "A constitutional bench has already examined all aspects of Section 124 A (sedition law) in context of fundamental rights like right to equality and right to life," the government said in the Supreme Court.
The pleas challenging the sedition law were filed by five parties including the Editors Guild of India and Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra.