Arghia Namboodiri, Bennett University
ABSTRACT
Freedom of speech and expression one of the most important rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. This right insures that people have the freedom to speak their minds, have opinions and express dissent without having the fear of persecution by the government. Of course, this right is not absolute. There are certain reasonable restrictions that have been imposed on these rights by the Indian Constitution. But, there exist other laws that threaten the freedom guaranteed by this right. This paper intends to analyse the existing regulations regarding sedition and the new and seemingly draconian UAPA1 Amendment and question the constitutionality of these laws. This paper also intends to answer the following question: Are the restrictions imposed upon the right to freedom of speech and expression by the sedition laws and the UAPA Amendment reasonable or do they impinge upon this right and therefore, are harmful to the citizens?
