- One of the most dreaded, draconian, and outdated laws of the land is the Sedition Law grabbing unwanted attention as well as unequivocal derision for its application by the Government authorities in one or the other pretext of gravely affecting the societal peace/harmony. The draconian law is being increasingly used to muzzle and/or scuttle the opposition voices criticizing the moves of the ruling dispensations – both at the central and state levels – is constantly in the news drawing ire of no less than the Supreme Court itself. The authorities taking umbrage under the useless law to settle scores against the opposing expressions simply should have no role whatsoever in a democratic country like ours.
PC: Abhinav Chandrachud
- Of course, there are concerted efforts to repeal the self-destructive law by the chastened activists firmly opposed to the pre-Independence act serving very little purpose but only managing to vitiate the social fabric so assiduously built over decades of challenges. Yet another instance of the state instrument attempting to browbeat the criticism against the ruling dispensation is on display in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The AP police have filed a sedition case against a rebel YSRCP parliamentarian and two Telugu news channels even as the Supreme Court is poised to commence proceedings in a challenge to the sedition provision. Now, the MP and the channels have moved the SC seeking relief.
- The MP’s charge of torture in custody will now be scrutinized by a medical board and the news channels are requesting contempt proceedings against the AP government for violating SC’s earlier order forbidding coercive against those revealing shortcomings in official Covid related responses/reportages. Call it coincidence or plain happenstance, the petitioner challenging sedition in SC is a journalist who has been jailed in Manipur on another frequently misused law, National Security Act, just after securing bail on IPC charges of promoting communal enmity. You will be astonished to know the reason for his incarceration. Following a social media post in which the journalist said that cow dung and cow urine are no cure for Covid.
PC: Dr. Lokendra Malik
- Can anybody in their right senses ever question what the rational thinking journalist have put forth dispelling the false and unscientific narration being played out by the irresponsibly irrational flag bearers? No way. Precisely for such extremely unpleasant and uncalled-for frequent overreaches by the state apparatus bears out the dangers of draconian laws being abused so brazenly far away from the letter and spirit with which those laws were established in the first place. The invoking of draconian laws has reached a chilling effect can be further corroborated by the UP ruling party legislator suggesting that speaking frankly on Covid management in the state could earn him a desh droh case. These laws will serve no purpose in and hence must go without any further delay.
