Sedition charges to stay,but cartoonist Aseem Trivedi freed

The first stop for him was a shrine built in the memory of Dalit icon Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar – near the Arthur Road jail.

He thereafter,addressed the media and reiterated his stated opinion on how corruption has degraded all the institutions of democracy in India and how the common man finds it difficult to change this extremely discriminatory system that perpetuates inequality.

Trivedi waved a raised fist in triumph and defiance at the authorities,saying he will not backtrack from his stated position.

He had been granted bail yesterday night.

Speaking briefly to the media,the cartoonist said the fight for scrapping the “draconian” sedition law would continue despite his release.

Trivedi was arrested on Saturday for allegedly depicting the national emblem and Parliament in bad light in his cartoons,triggering a public outcry.

According to his supporters,the only reason Trivedi was targetted by the government was for his links to Anna Hazare and the India Against Corruption movement that has put graft by politicians and babus at the forefront of the national agenda.

The Bombay High Court had yesterday granted bail to Trivedi,saying if drawing cartoons was the only allegation against him,then his custody was not required.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar had directed Trivedi to be released on execution of a personal bail bond of Rs 5,000.

The bail order was passed by the bench on a public interest litigation by city-based lawyer Sanskar Marathe,who sought Trivedi’s release contending his arrest was “illegal,bad in law,and unjustified”.

The court will hear the PIL on September 17 to decide whether it was right to apply sedition charge against him for his cartoons.

Cartoonist vows to fight sedition law

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi,facing the charge of sedition among others,today walked out of jail a day after the Bombay High Court ordered his release on bail and vowed to intensify his campaign for scrapping of the sedition law.

Later,speaking to reporters at Mumbai Press Club along with rights activist Binayak Sen,Trivedi questioned the relevance of the sedition law in present-day democracy and demanded its immediate repeal.

“During the British rule,the rulers applied IPC 124 (A) to gag the voice of freedom fighters. It was applied against Mahatma Gandhi,Tilak and Veer Savarkar. It has been applied against writers,journalists,artists in the past few years and has been misused most of the time,” he said.

Vowing to continue his fight for freedom of expression,Tivedi said,”My cartoons are like a mirror. They reflect the truth as it is. I never felt that I have committed a smallest mistake through my cartoons.”

Describing section 124 (A) as one that reminds of “slavery”,he said,”I respect law but not the one which is reminiscent of the foreign yoke.”

However,Sen,who had also been charged with sedition for his alleged links with naxalites,when asked if he subscribed to the manner in which Trivedi conveyed his message through the cartoons,said he was sharing the platform with him only to voice his opposition to the law governing sedition.

“Politicians,writers and artistes are talking against this law and a debate has started. We all should vow to continue the fight. In today’s world where social media is active,everybody is a writer. We should ensure no citizen has to face the accusation of being a traitor in future,” Trivedi said.

Asked about his cartoon in which 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was shown urinating on the Indian Constitution,Trivedi said he did not regret it.

The controversial cartoonist said he would defend himself in the court against all other charges but not the one accusing him of sedition.

“I love my country and I do not accept the sedition charge. I respect the law but not the law relating to sedition which itself is illegal. It is against truth and justice.”

“I was criticized for insulting the Constitution,Parliament and the country. They (Parliamentarians) ask questions after taking money,they are involved in scams worth crores,they are breaking the law. Tell me have I insulted the Parliament or have they insulted it ?” he asked.

Echoing the young cartoonist’s views on sedition,Sen said,”Sedition law is a law which is misused to suppress dissent”.

“We are planning a signature campaign against the law. We will be taking one million signatures and sending them to Parliament. Application of this law against anybody is never justified,” he said.

Trivedi was arrested on September 8 on the basis of a complaint filed in December by a member of Republican Party of India Amit Katarnayea,who had alleged that the latter had put up banners mocking the Indian Constitution during Anna Hazare’s rally held last year at the Bandra Kurla Complex. It was also alleged that he had put obscene content on his website.

The police had also said that Trivedi had shown disrespect to the national flag and he was arrested under 124A of the Indian Penal Code for sedition besides various sections of the Information Technology Act.

Trivedi’s arrest had triggered an outrage with Justice Markandey Katju,Press Council of India chairman,defending him,saying the cartoonist has done nothing illegal.

“My opinion is that the cartoonist did nothing illegal. In a democracy many things are said,some truthful and others false,” Katju had said.

Several politicians including Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray joined the chorus against Trivedi’s arrest.

“(Through his cartoons) Trivedi tried to depict the rot in Parliament and the government charged him with sedition,” Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“Trivedi did insult the symbols but that does not justify branding him a traitor and imprisoning him,” he said,adding “The sedition law is one brought by Britishers. Britain has dismissed it from their Constitution but it is still there in our Constitution.”

Hundreds of India Against Corruption activists and scores others were present outside the jail to receive Trivedi when he came out a little past 1 pm.

Family erupts in joy after cartoonist’s release

Family and people at the hometown of Aseem Trivedi erupted in joy after the cartoonist,arrested on sedition charges,walked out of a Mumbai jail today after being granted bail.

In Aseem’s home at Shuklaganj in Unnao district,family members celebrated Aseem’s release by distributing sweets.

Expressing happiness over the development,Aseem’s father Ashok Trivedi demanded immediate withdrawal of all cases against his son,including that of sedition.

“He is the grandson of a freedom fighter (Reva Shankar Trivedi). Aseem can never commit an act which amounts to sedition as he has inherited patriotism from his grandfather,” Trivedi said,claiming that his son has “not done anything which comes under the purview of sedition.”

When asked whether the cartoonist had any plans to visit his hometown in the coming days,Trivedi said “although I have not talked to him,but I am sure he will come to meet us in next 2-3 days. We will give him a heroic welcome.”

The 25-year-old cartoonist was arrested on September 8 under IPC Section 124 (sedition),section 66 A of Information Technology Act and section 2 of Prevention of Insults to Nation Honour Act.

The freelancer has been accused of putting up banners mocking the Constitution during a rally of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare here late last year and posting the same on his website.

Trivedi was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a member of Republican Party of India,Amit Katarnayea.