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The Supreme Court on decided that it will examine the validity of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises sedition

Highlights

• The sedition law has been in controversy for far too long. Often the governments are criticized for using the law — Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) — against vocal critics of their policies.
  
• In the popular narrative, sedition is taken as “deshdroh” or an anti-national act as against “rajdroh” or an anti-government act.
• The sedition law says, “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years.

Sedition in law

• In law, sedition is certainly an act of spreading disaffection against the government. 
  
• There is a thin line between criticizing the government, making a false propaganda against the government and trying to destablise the government. Destabilising a democratically elected government certainly falls under the purview of sedition law.”
  

Background

• The sedition law has been in debate ever since it was brought into force by the colonial British rulers in 1860s.
• Several top freedom movement leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were booked under the sedition law.

Source: The Hindu