Sedition law used to curb independent reporting: Editors Guild

Editors Guild of India on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court order keeping in abeyance the application of the sedition law and noted that the law has been used far too often by central and state governments against journalists in an effort to curb independent reporting.

The Guild, which was one of the petitioners who had challenged the sedition along Major General SG Vombatkere (Retd), former Union Minister Arun Shourie and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said it was “extremely pleased” that in response to the petition, the apex court passed an interim order effectively keeping the law in abeyance until the Union Government reconsiders the provision.

The Guild noted that the apex court has observed that it hopes and expects that the state and central Governments will restrain from registering any FIR, continuing any investigation or taking any coercive measures by invoking Section 124A of IPC while the aforesaid provision of law is under consideration”.

The court has also allowed those booked under this provision to approach the concerned court for bail, the Guild noted.

According to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, a total of 356 cases of sedition -- as defined under section 124A of the IPC -- were registered and 548 people arrested between 2015 and 2020, out of which only six were convicted.