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Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has said in the Lok Sabha that the ministry of home affairs has no proposal under consideration to scrap Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with sedition. He also said that “the question of law” regarding Section 124 A is pending for adjudication before the Supreme Court.
“The ministry of home affairs has informed that there is no proposal under consideration to scrap Sec 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Further, the question of law regarding Section 124A is pending for adjudication before the hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” he said in a written reply.
As per the report by PTI, According to Section 124 A of the IPC, “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in [India], shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
Responding to a question by Assam MP Badruddin Ajmal on whether the Supreme Court has recently termed the sedition law as colonial and has made an observation that it is being misused, and whether the apex court has directed Government of India to submit its response on necessity and validity of this law, Rijiju said, “No such observations have been found in any judgment or order delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.”
