No proposal to scrap Sedition laws under consideration: Central government in Parliament

There is no proposal under the Central government's consideration to scrap Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with Sedition, the Lok Sabha was informed today..Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju answered a question posed by Member of Parliament from Assam, Badruddin Ajmal. The MP asked if the top court had called the law colonial and noted its misuse, and sought details on whether the government is planning to strike down or amend Section 124A."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," the reply stated..The response also discussed what the Supreme Court noted on the provision in various orders." ...in Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 217/2021, M/s Aamoda Broadcasting Company Pvt. Ltd & Another vs The State of Andhra Pradesh & Others, the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 31.05.2021, under para (3), has inter alia observed that “the ambit and parameters of the provisions of Sections 124A, 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 would require interpretation, particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation.”Reference was also made to the constitutional challenges to the provision pending in the apex court - Kishorechandra Wangkhemcha & Anr v. Union of India and SS Vombatkere vs Union of India..In July this year, the Supreme Court had questioned the Central government as to whether Sedition laws were still needed after 75 years of independence.In a speech in October this year, former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Nariman urged the top court to decriminalise sedition..I would exhort Supreme Court to strike down sedition law, offensive parts of UAPA: Retired Justice Rohinton Nariman