IT Minister will take 'structured view' of SC's verdict on Section 66A: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad will take a 'structured view' of the Supreme Court's verdict on Section 66A, after receiving a copy of the apex court's verdict.

"As far as the Central government is concerned, this government always stood for freedom of expression and for freedom of media, unlike the previous government. And that had been the stand of the government in the court as well," said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

"Now we will wait for the copy of the verdict to come and thereafter the IT Minister will take a structured view on it," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Nalin Kohli hailed the decision has 'landmark', stating that the apex court had reaffirmed freedom of speech.

"It is a landmark day for freedom of speech and expression. Article 19(2) has been reaffirmed," he said.

Describing the law as 'vague in its entirety' and 'unconstitutional', the Supreme Court earlier in the day struck down the Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which was introduced in 2000.

The apex court ruled that the section falls outside Article 19(2), which relates to Freedom of Speech, and thus had to be struck down in its entirety.

The first PIL against the Act was filed in 2012 after two girls were arrested in Thane for commenting against the shutdown in Mumbai following Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's death.

Last week, the Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested a Class 11 student from Bareilly for allegedly posting 'objectionable remarks' against Samajawadi Party leader Azam Khan.