Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Friday batted for repealing the colonial-era sedition law. Mr. Sinha, who was in the Chhattisgarh capital to campaign for the July 18 election, said that such a law had no place in the country.
To a question on the misuse of Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code [that defines sedition as bringing or attempting to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government and criminalises it, even attracting a life imprisonment for the violation], Mr. Sinha said he was of the view that it should go.
"[The provision] 124A should go and I believe that most people would agree with me that it should no longer be a part of our legal system. This is a colonial-era law that should be repealed. However, a President can only advise the government and can't repeal the law himself/herself," he said to a question on his stance and the remedial measures he would take if he got elected.
