Ex-Judge Nariman urges SC to strike down sedition law, offensive parts of UAPA

New Delhi: Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman has urged the top court to strike down sedition law. He also demanded the repeal of some parts of the UAPA Act regarding illegal activities.

Speaking at a function, he said, "I would exhort the Supreme Court to not send sedition law cases pending before it back to Centre. Governments will come and go (but) it is important for the court to use its power and strike down Section 124A and the offensive portion of UAPA. Then citizen here would breathe more freely."

"The Nobel Peace Prize was given to two journalists from the Philippines. India's rank there was 142...Why? This is more to do with India's bank of colonial laws," he asserted.

"We had China and Pakistan wars. Thereafter we introduced the draconian legislation - Unlawful Activities Prohibition Act. Disaffection continues in the statute book and UAPA is a draconian act as it has no anticipatory bail and has a minimum five years imprisonment. This act is not under scanner yet. This too has to be looked into along with the sedition law," he said.