Supreme Court hears plea by Foundation for Independent Journalism and its founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan challenging Section 152 of BNS, said to have revived the sedition law. Bench: Justices Surya Kant & Joymalya Bagchi
Sr Adv Nitya Ramakrishnan (for petitioners): This Court has already issued notice in another plea against S.152. The provision is vague but has the same effect as the old sedition law. J Bagchi: Is “potential for abuse” enough to strike down a law? Show us precedent.
Ramakrishnan: Vagueness is a valid ground. S.152 is sheer expression without substance. Court: There must be a clear threat to national sovereignty, else the section doesn’t apply. J Kant: How can “endangering sovereignty” be defined statically? Political dissent may not
SG Mehta: There’s now a new explanation. J Kant: So now there’s a negative explanation. Ramakrishnan: Yet, the provision is prone to misuse, especially against the media, creating a chilling effect.
J Kant: Any penal provision can be misused. Ramakrishnan: This very case shows misuse, media persons arrested. SG Tushar Mehta: Constitution Bench has said that if a fresh case under S.124A IPC is filed, the aggrieved can approach court. Challenging vires can’t be used as a
J Kant: In such cases; articles, programmes, custodial interrogation is rarely needed. SG Mehta: Which court should grant anticipatory bail? Should media persons be treated as a separate class? J Bagchi: That’s not the point, the issue is balancing free speech with public
@LawBeatInd S Varadarajan is an US citizen. Why would the SC give preference to a foundation of journalism with a US citizen as editor, challenging Indian BNS 152? This challenges the Indian court and judiciary, allowing foreign interference
Haha! China is the largest buyer of oil from Russia, over 2 million barrels a day. Fact is that US is terrified of a full blown trade war with China. Lesson to India. Do not rely on tenuous 'goodwill' with the US. Its a transactional relationship. Period https://x.com/politico/status/...
Democracy and FOE in Congress party.
TRUMP CHICKENS OUT ADMITS DEFEAT. Even though China is no.1 purchaser of Russian oil Trump runs scared of slapping Tariffs on China like he did on India because Xi has threatened to retaliate with 125% duties and a total ban on export of rate earth metals to U.S.
The most unexpected foreign policy development of this administration has been the downgrading of US relations with India for Pakistan.