Sedition by another name equally shady

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

sedition law. That is excellent reasoning for a liberal democracy. Yet, the ghost of Section 124A of IPC 1860 — sedition — lingers in Section 150 of the BNS Bill.

The intent of the two provisions is very different. Section 124A of IPC intends to suppress free speech. Section 150, on the other hand, of the BNS Bill is focused on national security, and attempts to balance individual liberty and national security.

Part 7, 'Of Offences Against the State', in this section criminalises acts perceived to be endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. The onus should be on GoI now to provide greater clarity and steadier equilibrium.

Section 150 expands the list of activities perceived as endangering national security. The explicit mention of 'electronic communications' could bring WhatsApp messages, emails, social media posts and private forwards under its scope.

The 'use of financial mean' could enable charging persons with alleged violations linked to financial transactions. At the same time, it specifies the offences would attract this provision: engaging in secession, participating in armed rebellion, undertaking subversive activities and encouraging feelings of separatist activities. The explicit incorporation of criminal intent (mens rea) — 'purposely or knowingly' — is a positive.