On Sedition Law Validity, Centre Seeks Time From Supreme Court For Response

Sedition Law: "This dispute about law is concerned, it is a colonial law. It was meant to suppress the freedom movement. The same law was used by the British to silence Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak etc. Still, is it necessary after 75 years of Independence," the Chief Justice of India had asked.

The Centre has sought time from the Supreme Court to file its response on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the colonial era law on sedition.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, on April 27, 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.

In an application filed before the court, the Centre said while the draft of the affidavit is ready, it was awaiting confirmation from the competent authority. The top court, in its last order, had noted that senior advocate Kapil Sibal will lead the arguments from the petitioner's side against the validity of section 124A (sedition) of the IPC in the matter.

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.