Sedition: Its Analysis And Legislative Dimensions

Aditya Singh, B.A.LL.B (H), 2018-23

ABSTRACT

In India, the legislation on sedition has been used as a tactic of harassment to suppress free speech. This has resulted in widespread calls to remove the sedition rules, which are considered as an antiquated legislation enacted to protect colonial interests. Every citizen in India has the right to speak and express themselves under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. However, the right is not unlimited, and some reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression have been established under Article 19 (2). However, if a person's statements, signs, or representations are regarded to be contemptuous to the Government of India, that act is punished under section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Sedition is a crime that punishes speech that is considered disloyal or threatening to the state. The stipulations of Section 124A are exceedingly wide and apply to any act of defamation by the government, excluding any legitimate criticism of specific legislation or acts of administration. Sedition is a problematic phrase that is bandied around carelessly in today's social discourse. With public displeasure with government policies on the rise, the expression of youth dissatisfaction has been labelled as sedition. However, many people are unaware of what it entails. As a result, we must first determine what sedition is in legal terms. We will look at the various components of the crime of sedition in relation to freedom of speech in this study. We'll also look at judicial rulings that aid in the evolution and establishment of the concept of sedition as well as the current scenario.

Keywords: Indian Constitution, Government of India, freedom of speech and expression, Government of India, Sedition.