The Centre on Monday said it will re-examine and reconsider the rationality of the sedition law and requested the Supreme Court to defer the exercise adjudicating its constitutional validity.
The Centre’s decision to re-examine the law comes just two days after it staunchly defended the colonial-era provision in the Supreme Court and sought the dismissal of pleas challenging it.
Sedition law withstood test of time, no need to re-examine its validity: Centre to SC
Contending that the apex court’s six decades old verdict upholding validity of Section 124 A is a good law and balances constitutional rights and principles viz. needs of the State, the centre told the Supreme Court on Saturday there was no need to re-examine the judgment and opposed scrapping of
In a fresh affidavit filed before the apex court, the Centre said that PM Modi is of the firm view that baggage of colonial era laws, which outlived their utility, must be scrapped at a time when the country is marking its 75th year of Independence
The affidavit filed by the Centre was in response to a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the sedition law.
Last week, the Centre had defended the sedition law in the apex court and the 1962 verdict, saying they have withstood “the test of time” about six decades and the instances of its abuse would never be a justification of reconsideration.
In 1962, the top court had upheld the validity of the sedition law while attempting to restrict its scope for misuse.
