Oppn hails order, says cannot suppress truth

THE CPI(M) HIT OUT AT THE CENTRE OVER ITS ‘GROSS MISUSE’ OF THE SEDITION LAW

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to put on hold the colonial-era sedition law, saying that the voice of truth could not be suppressed and the draconian law should be scrapped to uphold free speech in the country.

While the Congress said the top court’s order sent a clear message that “you can no longer suppress the voice of truth”, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre over its “gross abuse of the law”.

“Telling the truth is patriotism, not treason”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. “Listening to the truth is one’s duty. Crushing the truth is arrogance. Don’t be afraid,” he added.

Putting on hold the sedition law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the registration of FIRs, ongoing probes and coercive measures on the matter across the country until an “appropriate forum” of the govthis ernment re-examines the colonial-era penal law.

“SC once again played a historic role...” Trinamool Congress (TMC) national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Ray tweeted.

The Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said speaking truth to power cannot be sedition for it is “true nationalism and the true test” of how committed one is to the country and to the people.

“Supreme Court has finally spoken in a historical verdict... A clear cut message has gone today to suppressors and subjugators of public opinion, of dissent, of everyone who criticises the autocratic and dictatorial rulers and their policies, that you can no longer suppress the voice of truth, dissent, those critical of government must be heard and course corrections need to be done,” Surjewala said.

The Congress had promised in its 2019 manifesto, the Supreme Court has finally spoken and the Constitution will be upheld and the voice of truth and those speaking truth to power will finally have their way, Surjewala said.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra, one of the petitioners who sought scrapping of the law, said it was a “great day for democracy”.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said his party had always opposed the law. “It (sedition law) is anachronistic, brought in by the British to crush our freedom struggle and it has no place in the statute book in independent India,” he said. “Since the BJP government came into office in 2014, at least 326 people have been arrested under the law and only six of them were convicted by the courts. This is gross abuse of the law that is happening under the Modi government. The sedition law should be scrapped. We hope the Supreme Court does this when it resumes the hearing in July,” he added.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged the BJP was using the law to suppress those raising voice against its government.