Trying to 'course correct' after SC 'rebuke': Congress on Centre's sedition law stand

With the Centre deciding to "re-examine and reconsider" the sedition law, Congress on Monday said that the Modi government is trying to "course correct" as it seems to have realised that its "misuse" of the legislation is about to be quashed by the Supreme Court.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court not to invest time in examining the validity of the law as it has decided to go for re-consideration of the provisions by a "competent forum".

Responding to a query on the Centre's move during a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government's understanding of the sedition law has always been "warped".

Also Read | Centre urges SC not to examine validity of sedition law, says it will re-examine provision

"The Modi government has over the last eight years used the sedition law only to suppress fundamental rights of expression, of opinion, curbing dissent against the BJP, suppressing voices against the RSS, subjugating opinion against the Modi government -- be it of activists, political opponents, journalists, student leaders, NGOs, or anyone asking questions of those sitting in the citadels of power," he alleged.

"Finally after the rebuke from the Supreme Court, the Modi government seems to have belatedly realised that its misuse of the sedition law is about to be quashed," Surjewala said.

Faced with that clear cut observation of the Supreme Court, in hindsight, the Centre is trying to "course correct", he said.

Also Read | Centre defends sedition law in Supreme Court, says individual cases no ground for repeal

"I am happy that even at this belated stage if they change their autocratic, dictatorial mindset of suppressing, subjugating and trampling upon every voice of dissent and disagreement, it would bode well for democracy," Surjewala added.

He also accused the government of using the sedition law as a "personal propaganda machine" and filing "thousands, if not lakhs, of false cases" to put many people behind bars.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli May 5 had said that it would hear arguments on May 10 on the legal question of whether the pleas challenging the colonial-era penal law on sedition be referred to a larger bench for reconsidering the 1962 verdict of a five-judge constitution bench in the Kedar Nath Singh case.

Also Read | Centre defends sedition law in Supreme Court, says individual cases no ground for repeal

The affidavit, filed by an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that the government has decided to "re-examine and re-consider the provisions of Section 124A of the IPC which can only be done before the competent forum".

"In view of the..., it is respectfully submitted that this Hon’ble court may not invest time in examining the validity of section 124A of the IPC once again and be pleased to await the exercise of reconsideration to be undertaken by the Government of India before an appropriate forum where such reconsideration is constitutionally permitted," the affidavit said.

The top court has been hearing a clutch of pleas challenging the validity of the law on sedition.