'Centre not keen to scrap sedition law, may amend it instead'

KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Mahua Moitra, who has been at the forefront in fighting against the sedition law, claimed the BJP-led Centre is not keen on revoking the draconian legislation and may instead amend it.

The TMC MP's comment came a day after the Supreme Court in a landmark order on Wednesday put on hold the controversial sedition law till the Centre completes a promised review of the colonial relic and also asked the Central and state governments not to register any fresh case invoking the act. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana had directed that ongoing probes, pending trials and all proceedings under the sedition law across the country will also be kept in abeyance. Those in jail on sedition charges could approach the court for bail, it said. Moitra, who had been one of the writ petitioners in the case, said, had the Centre been serious in reconsidering the law, it could have done it in the last eight years. The TMC MP is also of the opinion that the "draconian" Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act needs to be scrapped. "This is a fantastic verdict. I am really happy. This is not my fight or your fight. This is the victory of Indian constitutional democracy.

Any civilized society has no place for such a colonial-era sedition law which dates back to 1870 and was meant to throttle the voices of Indians. It is not meant for an elected Indian government to muzzle the voices of the country's citizens today," she said.