Pawar asks people to launch movements on real issues; hails Centre’s stand to review sedition law

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday welcomed the Centre’s stand to review the sedition law, stating that the archaic law should not be used against citizens of a free country. The veteran leader also called upon the people to voice their protest against inflation, unemployment and deteriorating law and order.

“Today, we stand as citizens of a free country. The right to dissent shouldn’t be suppressed by terming it as sedition”Sharad PawarNCP leader

Addressing a press conference in Kolhapur, Mr. Pawar said: “The Centre has taken a stand to review the sedition law. We welcome this. This was brought in by the British in 1890 to be used against anyone who was opposing the British raj. But today, we stand as citizens of a free country. The right to dissent against the government shouldn’t be suppressed by terming it as sedition.”

Mr. Pawar, in his additional affidavit filed before the inquiry panel looking in to the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence, had made the statement to repeal the sedition law saying that Section 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was misused against people who criticised the government. The veteran leader had said that the present provisions of the IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were sufficient to protect national integrity.

In a U-turn, the Centre had on Monday told the Supreme Court that it had decided to re-examine and re-consider the provisions of Section 124 (A) of the IPC.

‘Communal issues are distractions’

Earlier, Mr. Pawar slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–led Central government saying issues such as price rise, unemployment and law and order have taken a backseat and non-issues like Hanuman Chalisa and Ayodhya are being raised. “It just shows that people who are governing the country cannot solve the basic problems of the people. And all these communal issues are being raised only to distract the people from real ones,” he said.

“People with power are not even bothered to look at these pressing issues,” said Mr. Pawar, adding that “people will protest and launch movements for this.”