The Supreme Court order on Section 124A is a validation and vindication of the Centre’s stance, said government officials, adding the Apex Court has given them the nod to issue an advisory for the state governments to prevent misuse of the sedition law.
Citing the SC order, the officials, on condition of anonymity, said the Supreme Court has only said it “expects” that nobody will use Section 124A till the Central Government decides on the matter, and has not stayed the provision of sedition.
The SC order is based on the stand of the Union of India and extensively quotes the Government’s affidavit, which mentions PM Narendra Modi’s unequivocal views against the colonial-era law officials said.
Officials said the Central Government has placed a draft of proposed directives before the Supreme Court, which the Home Ministry will issue to the state governments to prevent any misuse of the sedition law. The SC has accepted the proposed draft in its order.
Officials also said that SC has mentioned the concerns of the Central Government regarding security interest.
Speaking after the apex court order, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “We’ve made our positions very clear and also informed the court about the intention of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We respect the court and its independence. But there’s a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ (line) that must be respected by all organs of the state in letter and spirit.”
“We have to ensure that we respect the provisions of the Indian Constitution as well as existing laws,” he added.
(With inputs from Agencies)