Sedition laws outdated need to be relooked, says Moily

Apr 15, 2011 |

New Delhi

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With the Supreme Court granting bail to Binayak Sen convicted for helping Naxalites, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Friday dubbed sedition laws as "outdated" and said he would ask the Law Commission to take a "relook" at the issue.

Reacting to bail granted to the rights activist by the apex court, Moily said he would soon consult Home Minister P. Chidambaram and after he agrees, the matter could be refered to the Law Commission to study whether there was need for change in sedition laws.

"I will consult the Home Minister and after that the Law Commission could be asked to revisit laws relating to sedition. We can have it relooked," Moily told the reporters.

He said sedition laws were also used against the freedom fighters before Independence and were now "outdated".

Amendments in the IPC are the domain of the Home Ministry.

He said bail to Sen also reflected upon the investigations carried out by Chhattisgarh Police. He said there has been debate that sedition laws do not reflect on the democratic aspirations of the country and the spirit of Constitution.

Granting bail to Sen, the apex court said, "We are a democratic country. He may be a sympathiser (of Naxalites) but it did not make him guilty of sedition.

"He is a sympathiser. Nothing beyond that," the bench further said, perusing the affidavit filed by the Chhattisgarh government opposing his bail.

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