Govt plans to make sedition law more draconian, misuse it: Cong

Pointing out that the Supreme Court had stayed the operation of the law on sedition only a year ago, Singhvi said it is “quite astonishing” how the Law Commission has recommended not only retention of Section 124A of IPC but making it harsher and more ferocious. “This is a terrible, tragic, and treacherous development,” he said. “The BJP is planning to become draconian, drastic and deadly by misuse of a colonial-era law.”

He said the Law Commission’s proposal makes the existing law “far more draconian and invasive, far more prejudicial by enhancing the lower end of punishment from three to seven years. It clearly ignores the letter, and more importantly the spirit, of Supreme Court proceedings last year, which specifically rendered the entire offence of sedition stillborn, clearly intended to be inoperative pending its repeal or significantly softening.”

Singhvi said the proposal has provided no additional safeguard, caveat or any limitation to prevent the law’s abuse. “It has sent a clear signal as to the colonial mindset of this government,” he claimed. “A colonial mindset coupled with a signal sent to the nation that we intend to retain this draconian provision as a threat to you, as a threat upon you, as a threat against freedom of speech, thought, and action, which is the essence of democracy itself,” he said.