Doubling down on sedition

Law body's proposals contradict spirit of democracy

India’s sedition law, a legacy of colonial rule, had attracted attention for its draconian application by the Centre and states till the Supreme Court last year ordered that the law be kept in abeyance till the government reviewed it. The apex court had argued that the law was “not in tune with the current social milieu”, implying that it would best be read down. Instead, the Law Commission, the body that advises the government on legal reform, has not only recommended retaining the relevant section, 124A of the Indian Penal Code, but toughened the punishment and widened the ambit of